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

Journal of the Optical Society of America B

Time-resolved measurements of the polarization state of four-wave mixing signals from GaAs multiple quantum wells

A. E. Paul, Jeremy A. Bolger, Arthur L. Smirl, J. Pellegrino

Published May 1, 1996• 57 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The complete polarization state of the degenerate four-wave mixing signal from a GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs multiple quantum well is determined by time resolution of all four of its Stokes parameters as a function of the relative angle between the two linear input polarizations. The degree of ellipticity and the orientation of the polarization ellipse are both observed to vary dramatically in time, and the temporal evolution is found to depend strongly on the orientation of the input polarizations. These time-resolved results are shown to be consistent with previous measurements of the time-integrated Stokes parameters and to provide new constraints for physical models. The results are shown to be qualitatively consistent with a phenomenological model requiring the inclusion of both many-body interactions and biexcitonic effects.

DOI
10.1364/josab.13.001016

Related papers

Degree and state of polarization of the time-integrated coherent four-wave mixing signal from semiconductor multiple quantum wells

Shekhar Patkar, A. E. Paul, Wei E. I. Sha +2 more

All four of the Stokes parameters of the time-integrated degenerate four-wave mixing signal from a GaAs/${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$As multiple quantum well are measured as a function of the relative angle between the linear polarizations of the pump and the probe and of the incident fluence, thus completely characterizing the polarization state of the signal. The degree to which the signal is polarized, the ellipticity, and the orientation of the polarization ellipse are found to be strongly dependent on the orientation of the incident polarizations and on fluence. The principal features can be qualitatively understood in terms of a simple model that includes density-dependent dephasing and local-field corrections.

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Apr 15, 1995•23 citations

Ultrafast time-resolved quantum beats in the polarization state of coherent emission from quantum wells

Arthur L. Smirl, X. Chen, Osvaldo Buccafusca

Dual-channel spectral interferometry is used to measure the ellipticity, the orientation of the polarization ellipse, and the sense of rotation of the four-wave-mixing signal from a GaAs-AlGaAs multiple quantum well. Each parameter is observed to oscillate dramatically at the heavy-hole-light-hole quantum beat frequency. During each beat period (in the strong quantum beat regime), the ellipticity oscillates twice between linear and almost-circular polarization, the orientation of the polarization ellipse rotates through a complete 180 degrees , and the sense of rotation changes from left- to right-circular polarization.

Optics Letters•Jul 15, 1998•20 citations

Polarization dependence of beating phenomena at the energetically lowest exciton transition in GaAs quantum wells

E. J. Mayer, G. O. Smith, V. Heuckeroth +8 more

We report time-resolved degenerate four-wave-mixing experiments on a high-quality single GaAs quantum well. The signals for parallel and cross-polarized exciting pulses show pronounced quantum beats with different frequencies corresponding to the heavy/light-hole splitting and the biexciton binding energy, respectively. Comparison of the experimental data with solutions of the optical Bloch equations for a phenomenological model system shows that these features result from strong contributions of the biexcitonic state. The importance of biexcitons to the nonlinear coherent response of the two-dimension exciton is further confirmed by the frequency dependence of the time-integrated four-wave-mixing signal amplitudes measured for the two polarization geometries.

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Apr 15, 1995•61 citations

Biexcitonic contribution to polarization-dependent degenerate four-wave mixing in GaAs quantum wells

Graham J. Denton, R. T. Phillips, G. W. Smith

We report measurements of the polarization and time-averaged intensity of four-wave mixing signals from GaAs quantum wells as functions of the pump beam polarizations, laser photon energy, and optical injection density, the latter covering a range of higher levels than has previously been reported. Excitation of heavy-hole excitons produced a sin2 variation of the signal intensity as the pump beam polarizations changed from parallel to perpendicular, while injection of light-hole excitons led to an approximately cos2 dependence. The tuning dependence of the heavy-hole-exciton signal revealed a low-energy signal which is attributed to biexcitons. The dominance of this signal for perpendicular polarization causes the observed sin2 variation of the heavy-hole-exciton signal.

Applied Physics Letters•Jul 10, 1995•5 citations

Polarization dependence of four-wave-mixing signals in quantum wells

D. Bennhardt, P. Thomas, R. Eccleston +2 more

Recent transient four-wave-mixing experiments in the two-pulse photon-echo configuration performed on GaAs quantum wells have yielded the surprising result that in some samples the ${\mathit{T}}_{2}$ time obtained from the polarization decay can be shorter for cross-polarized input fields than for parallel input fields. A concomitant change from photon-echo to free-induction-decay behavior has also been observed. A phenomenological model is presented which explains these observations by means of a disorder-induced coupling of the ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ exciton transitions which is inhomogeneous in coupling strength. Such coupling also leads to a remarkable change in the light-hole--heavy-hole exciton quantum beat phase as a function of pulse delay for a critical relative orientation of the polarization of the incident pulses. Experimental observations of this effect are presented to support the validity of the model.

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•May 15, 1993•77 citations

Theory for polarization-dependent four-wave-mixing signals in quantum wells

D. Bennhardt, T. Meier, P. Thomas +3 more

In degenerate four-wave-mixing (DFWM) experiments the polarization of the incident laser pulses can have a strong influence on the measured signal. For GaAs quantum wells a number of DFWM experiments were performed by using either parallel or perpendicular polarization of the incident laser pulses. Experimentally, it turned out that some characteristic features of the signal differ appreciably for the two configurations. In particular, different dephasing times, phase shifts of the quantum beats, different time-resolved behavior (echoes versus free-induction decay), and intensity dependence of the measured signal have been reported.1–3

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•May 2, 1993•0 citations
The complete polarization state of the degenerate four-wave mixing signal from a GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs multiple quantum well is determined by time resolution of all four of its Stokes parameters as a function of the relative angle between the two linear input polarizations. The degree of ellipticity and the orientation of the polarization ellipse are both observed to vary dramatically in time, and the temporal evolution is found to depend strongly on the orientation of the input polarizations. These time-resolved results are shown to be consistent with previous measurements of the time-integrated Stokes parameters and to provide new constraints for physical models. The results are shown to be qualitatively consistent with a phenomenological model requiring the inclusion of both many-body interactions and biexcitonic effects.
All four of the Stokes parameters of the time-integrated degenerate four-wave mixing signal from a GaAs/Alx{\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{x}}Alx​${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$As multiple quantum well are measured as a function of the relative angle between the linear polarizations of the pump and the probe and of the incident fluence, thus completely characterizing the polarization state of the signal. The degree to which the signal is polarized, the ellipticity, and the orientation of the polarization ellipse are found to be strongly dependent on the orientation of the incident polarizations and on fluence. The principal features can be qualitatively understood in terms of a simple model that includes density-dependent dephasing and local-field corrections.
Dual-channel spectral interferometry is used to measure the ellipticity, the orientation of the polarization ellipse, and the sense of rotation of the four-wave-mixing signal from a GaAs-AlGaAs multiple quantum well. Each parameter is observed to oscillate dramatically at the heavy-hole-light-hole quantum beat frequency. During each beat period (in the strong quantum beat regime), the ellipticity oscillates twice between linear and almost-circular polarization, the orientation of the polarization ellipse rotates through a complete 180 degrees , and the sense of rotation changes from left- to right-circular polarization.
We report time-resolved degenerate four-wave-mixing experiments on a high-quality single GaAs quantum well. The signals for parallel and cross-polarized exciting pulses show pronounced quantum beats with different frequencies corresponding to the heavy/light-hole splitting and the biexciton binding energy, respectively. Comparison of the experimental data with solutions of the optical Bloch equations for a phenomenological model system shows that these features result from strong contributions of the biexcitonic state. The importance of biexcitons to the nonlinear coherent response of the two-dimension exciton is further confirmed by the frequency dependence of the time-integrated four-wave-mixing signal amplitudes measured for the two polarization geometries.
We report measurements of the polarization and time-averaged intensity of four-wave mixing signals from GaAs quantum wells as functions of the pump beam polarizations, laser photon energy, and optical injection density, the latter covering a range of higher levels than has previously been reported. Excitation of heavy-hole excitons produced a sin2 variation of the signal intensity as the pump beam polarizations changed from parallel to perpendicular, while injection of light-hole excitons led to an approximately cos2 dependence. The tuning dependence of the heavy-hole-exciton signal revealed a low-energy signal which is attributed to biexcitons. The dominance of this signal for perpendicular polarization causes the observed sin2 variation of the heavy-hole-exciton signal.
Recent transient four-wave-mixing experiments in the two-pulse photon-echo configuration performed on GaAs quantum wells have yielded the surprising result that in some samples the T2{\mathit{T}}_{2}T2​ time obtained from the polarization decay can be shorter for cross-polarized input fields than for parallel input fields. A concomitant change from photon-echo to free-induction-decay behavior has also been observed. A phenomenological model is presented which explains these observations by means of a disorder-induced coupling of the ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\sigma}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ exciton transitions which is inhomogeneous in coupling strength. Such coupling also leads to a remarkable change in the light-hole--heavy-hole exciton quantum beat phase as a function of pulse delay for a critical relative orientation of the polarization of the incident pulses. Experimental observations of this effect are presented to support the validity of the model.
In degenerate four-wave-mixing (DFWM) experiments the polarization of the incident laser pulses can have a strong influence on the measured signal. For GaAs quantum wells a number of DFWM experiments were performed by using either parallel or perpendicular polarization of the incident laser pulses. Experimentally, it turned out that some characteristic features of the signal differ appreciably for the two configurations. In particular, different dephasing times, phase shifts of the quantum beats, different time-resolved behavior (echoes versus free-induction decay), and intensity dependence of the measured signal have been reported.1–3