Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review Letters

Observation of the Resonant Optical Stark Effect in a Semiconductor

D. Fröhlich, A. Nöthe, Klaus Reimann

Published Sep 16, 1985• 183 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This Letter presents for the first time the observation of the resonant optical Stark effect in a semiconductor. The excitonic system of ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}$O is well suited to the investigation of this effect because of its rather large binding energy and well-resolved resonances at low temperatures. The mixing between the $1S$ and $2P$ excitons by the electric field of a tunable high-power C${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ laser leads to drastic changes in the one-photon spectrum around the $2P$ absorption line. Even details of the line shape are consistently described in terms of the frequency-dependent nonlinear susceptibility.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.55.1335

Related papers

Collective Excitations and the Dynamical Stark Effect in a Coherently Driven Exciton System

Stefan Schmitt-Rink, D. S. Chemla

We consider a semiconductor of arbitrary dimension subject to a strong monochromatic laser beam in the transparency region below the exciton resonance. We calculate the spectrum of collective excitations and explain the recently observed dynamical Stark effect of the exciton. For the first time, we derive from first principles the nonresonant nonlinear susceptibility ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)}$ including exciton correlations.

Physical Review Letters•Nov 24, 1986•323 citations

The Optical Stark Effect and the Virtual Bose Condensate

S. A. Moskalenko, David W. Snoke

Nonequilibrium Theory of the Optical Stark Effect in the Excitonic Range of the Spectrum One of the most important applications of the theory of Bose condensation of excitons is the optical Stark effect, or “AC Stark effect, ” first demonstrated for excitons in Cu 2 O [1] and since seen in several semiconductors and semiconductor heterostructures (e.g., Refs. 2-5). This effect is a promising tool for the field of optical communications. One of the major interests in this field is the development of all-optical-switching methods, by which light signals are switched on or off directly by other light signals, just as in electronics, electrical signals switch other electrical signals. At the present, most optical communications systems use electrical signals (e.g., electro-optic or acousto-optic devices) to switch the light signals, which means that the limiting bandwidth of the system is controlled by that of the electrical signals, not the optical bandwidth. The optical Stark effect offers this possibility. When one laser beam impinges on a sample, it can drastically alter the excitonic absorption line shape. Therefore a second beam can see either a transparent or an absorbing medium, depending on the presence of the control beam. This is the optical equivalent of a transistor. The basic effect is shown in Fig. 6.1. When an intense laser is tuned to a photon energy that is just below the excitonic ground state, the exciton ground state is shifted in frequency and the oscillator strength is altered. This leads to a strong reduction in the optical absorption at the original wavelength of the exciton ground state.

Cambridge University Press eBooks•Feb 28, 2000•0 citations

Direct observation of the excitonic ac Stark splitting in a semiconductor quantum well

Michele Saba, Francesco Quochi, Cristiano Ciuti +5 more

Summary form only given. In the excitonic ac Stark shift in quantum wells the excitonic absorption line is blueshifted by shining on the sample an intense laser pulse, whose frequency is lower than the exciton transition frequency. The effect is bigger when the laser spectrum approaches the resonance with the excitonic absorption. But if the laser and excitonic absorption spectra sensibly overlap, a great amount of electronic population is excited and consequently the Coulomb nonlinearities due to the interaction between excited carries or excitons dramatically increase. One prominent effect under these conditions is the excitation- induced dephasing which can destroy the coherence of the electronic system and therefore the coupling between excitons and light, which is inherently coherent. Some evidence for the resonant Stark effect was already reported, but the direct observation of the spectral splitting was still missing. This observation demonstrates that the coherent exciton light coupling in semiconductors can be strong enough to survive the fast dephasing, and that therefore an efficient ultrafast manipulation of the exciton absorption in the coherent transient is possible. In order to magnify the ac Stark effect and its visibility a special sample was designed: a single In/sub 0.04/Ga/sub 0.96/As quantum well is grown on the top of an AlAs/AlGaAs distributed Bragg reflector; two /spl lambda//2 spacers separate the quantum well from the mirror and from the air. In this configuration the light field incident on the sample and the one reflected by the mirror constructively interfere at the quantum well position, giving a high effective absorption.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•Nov 13, 2002•0 citations

Femtosecond recovery of exciton bleaching in the optical Stark effect

Jason P. Sokoloff, S. G. Lee, R. Jin +5 more

The optical Stark effect of excitons in semiconductors, where the exciton resonance is blue shifted by an off-resonance light beam, has been actively studied. Here we report on the observation of a very fast recovery of the exciton bleaching for an off-resonance excitation condition in a quantum well sample at room temperature. The good agreement between the experimental results and our numerical calculations of the time-resolved absorption spectra suggests a coherent transient population buildup and decay occurring on the time scale of the pump pulse.

•May 21, 1990•0 citations

Optical nonlinearities due to excitonic molecules: Optical Stark effects and phase conjugation

Eiichi Hanamura

Large, nonlinear-optical phenomena are shown theoretically to be observable under nearly two-photon resonant pumping of the excitonic molecule (EM), e.g., in a CuCl crystal. When the exciton polariton (EP) is resonantly pumped into the EM, they are hybridized with each other and show optical Stark splitting. These splittings can be observed, respectively, as a sharp dip in the reflection spectrum and two-photon absorption spectrum due to the EM. We can also clarify how these splittings change into the blueshifts and redshifts of the EP and the EM as functions of the pump frequency and power. The generation of the phase-conjugated wave is shown also to be enhanced under two-photon resonant pumping of the EM. Some characteristics about pump-probe frequency and polarization dependences are also clarified. We have also derived the effective Hamiltonian of the exciton and the EM from the first-principles equation of motion for the exciton coupled with that of the EM. This Hamiltonian has made possible the theoretical analysis of these nonlinear-optical phenomena.

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Oct 15, 1991•15 citations

Experimental Investigation of Three‐Level Optical Stark Effect in Semiconductors

D. Fröhlich, Ch. Neumann, Bruno Uebbing +1 more

Abstract The three‐level optical Stark effect is due to a dynamical coupling of two excited levels. The coupling is achieved by a high intensity CO2 laser. Results of experiments on multiple quantum wells (MQW) and excitons in Cu2O are presented. In the MQW the coupling between the two lowest conduction band sublevels leads to characteristic changes in the one‐photon spectra of the lowest exciton transitions. In Cu2O the CO2 laser pulse couples 1 S and 2 P excitons. In this case the one‐photon spectrum of the 2 P exciton (dipole allowed) and also of the 1 S spectrum (quadrupole allowed) show drastic changes. Most of the experimental results can be explained quantitatively in terms of a nonlinear susceptibility.

physica status solidi (b)•May 1, 1990•35 citations
This Letter presents for the first time the observation of the resonant optical Stark effect in a semiconductor. The excitonic system of Cu2{\mathrm{Cu}}_{2}Cu2​O is well suited to the investigation of this effect because of its rather large binding energy and well-resolved resonances at low temperatures. The mixing between the 1S1S1S and 2P2P2P excitons by the electric field of a tunable high-power CO2{\mathrm{O}}_{2}O2​ laser leads to drastic changes in the one-photon spectrum around the 2P2P2P absorption line. Even details of the line shape are consistently described in terms of the frequency-dependent nonlinear susceptibility.
Nonequilibrium Theory of the Optical Stark Effect in the Excitonic Range of the Spectrum One of the most important applications of the theory of Bose condensation of excitons is the optical Stark effect, or “AC Stark effect, ” first demonstrated for excitons in Cu 2 O [1] and since seen in several semiconductors and semiconductor heterostructures (e.g., Refs. 2-5). This effect is a promising tool for the field of optical communications. One of the major interests in this field is the development of all-optical-switching methods, by which light signals are switched on or off directly by other light signals, just as in electronics, electrical signals switch other electrical signals. At the present, most optical communications systems use electrical signals (e.g., electro-optic or acousto-optic devices) to switch the light signals, which means that the limiting bandwidth of the system is controlled by that of the electrical signals, not the optical bandwidth. The optical Stark effect offers this possibility. When one laser beam impinges on a sample, it can drastically alter the excitonic absorption line shape. Therefore a second beam can see either a transparent or an absorbing medium, depending on the presence of the control beam. This is the optical equivalent of a transistor. The basic effect is shown in Fig. 6.1. When an intense laser is tuned to a photon energy that is just below the excitonic ground state, the exciton ground state is shifted in frequency and the oscillator strength is altered. This leads to a strong reduction in the optical absorption at the original wavelength of the exciton ground state.
Summary form only given. In the excitonic ac Stark shift in quantum wells the excitonic absorption line is blueshifted by shining on the sample an intense laser pulse, whose frequency is lower than the exciton transition frequency. The effect is bigger when the laser spectrum approaches the resonance with the excitonic absorption. But if the laser and excitonic absorption spectra sensibly overlap, a great amount of electronic population is excited and consequently the Coulomb nonlinearities due to the interaction between excited carries or excitons dramatically increase. One prominent effect under these conditions is the excitation- induced dephasing which can destroy the coherence of the electronic system and therefore the coupling between excitons and light, which is inherently coherent. Some evidence for the resonant Stark effect was already reported, but the direct observation of the spectral splitting was still missing. This observation demonstrates that the coherent exciton light coupling in semiconductors can be strong enough to survive the fast dephasing, and that therefore an efficient ultrafast manipulation of the exciton absorption in the coherent transient is possible. In order to magnify the ac Stark effect and its visibility a special sample was designed: a single In/sub 0.04/Ga/sub 0.96/As quantum well is grown on the top of an AlAs/AlGaAs distributed Bragg reflector; two /spl lambda//2 spacers separate the quantum well from the mirror and from the air. In this configuration the light field incident on the sample and the one reflected by the mirror constructively interfere at the quantum well position, giving a high effective absorption.
The optical Stark effect of excitons in semiconductors, where the exciton resonance is blue shifted by an off-resonance light beam, has been actively studied. Here we report on the observation of a very fast recovery of the exciton bleaching for an off-resonance excitation condition in a quantum well sample at room temperature. The good agreement between the experimental results and our numerical calculations of the time-resolved absorption spectra suggests a coherent transient population buildup and decay occurring on the time scale of the pump pulse.
Large, nonlinear-optical phenomena are shown theoretically to be observable under nearly two-photon resonant pumping of the excitonic molecule (EM), e.g., in a CuCl crystal. When the exciton polariton (EP) is resonantly pumped into the EM, they are hybridized with each other and show optical Stark splitting. These splittings can be observed, respectively, as a sharp dip in the reflection spectrum and two-photon absorption spectrum due to the EM. We can also clarify how these splittings change into the blueshifts and redshifts of the EP and the EM as functions of the pump frequency and power. The generation of the phase-conjugated wave is shown also to be enhanced under two-photon resonant pumping of the EM. Some characteristics about pump-probe frequency and polarization dependences are also clarified. We have also derived the effective Hamiltonian of the exciton and the EM from the first-principles equation of motion for the exciton coupled with that of the EM. This Hamiltonian has made possible the theoretical analysis of these nonlinear-optical phenomena.
Abstract The three‐level optical Stark effect is due to a dynamical coupling of two excited levels. The coupling is achieved by a high intensity CO2 laser. Results of experiments on multiple quantum wells (MQW) and excitons in Cu2O are presented. In the MQW the coupling between the two lowest conduction band sublevels leads to characteristic changes in the one‐photon spectra of the lowest exciton transitions. In Cu2O the CO2 laser pulse couples 1 S and 2 P excitons. In this case the one‐photon spectrum of the 2 P exciton (dipole allowed) and also of the 1 S spectrum (quadrupole allowed) show drastic changes. Most of the experimental results can be explained quantitatively in terms of a nonlinear susceptibility.