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

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Nonlinear Optical Properties Of Strained GaAs-In x Ga 1-x As Multiple Quantum Well Structures Using A Titanium Sapphire Laser Probe

Kenneth P. Aron, Glenn A. Hansen, R Stone, R. Lytel, Willard W. Anderson

Published Jun 27, 1988• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The nonlinear saturation of the excitonic absorbtion in a GaAs-InxGa 1-xAs multiple quantum well sample consisting of 80 wells was investigated in the vicinity of the excitonic resonance at 991 nm using a tuneable titanium sapphire laser probe. This characterization yields a saturation intensity s of less than 50 kW/cm and a maximum off-resonance nonlinear refractive index of 6.42 x 10-7 cm2/W. It is shown that this dispersion can lead to practical optically bistable etalons fabricated from these multiple quantum well structures.

DOI
10.1117/12.944440

Related papers

Nonlinear optical properties of strained GaAs-InxGa1−xAs multiple quantum well structures using a titanium sapphire laser probe

Kenneth P. Aron, Glenn A. Hansen, R. Stone +2 more

The nonlinear saturation of the excitonic absorbtion in a GaAs‐InxGa1−xAs multiple quantum well sample consisting of 80 wells was investigated in the vicinity of the excitonic resonance at 991 nm using a tunable titanium sapphire laser probe. This characterization yields a saturation intensity of less than 50 kW/cm2 and a maximum off‐resonance nonlinear refractive index of 6.42–10−7 cm2/W. This dispersion can lead to practical optically bistable etalons fabricated from these multiple quantum well structures.

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 1988•1 citation

All-optical bistable switching with gain in an InGaAs/GaAs quantum-well waveguide

Ta-Wei Kao, Patrick LiKamWa, Alan Miller +3 more

The gain characteristics of strained layer InGaAs quantum well laser amplifiers grown on GaAs substrates have been characterized using a Ti-sapphire laser in both CW and self-mode- locked configuration. All-optical bistability was achieved in such a device through the nonlinear refractive index that arises as a result of the gain saturation of the diode amplifier at high optical intensities. The Ti-sapphire laser was modified to produce wavelength tunable pulses of the order of 150 fs with a 15 nm spectral bandwidth in order to measure the dynamics of the gain using a time resolved optical pump-probe technique. The gain saturation occurs on the time scale of the pulse width of the laser and the initial recovery is extremely fast. This initial speedy recovery on a time scale of 100 fs is followed by a slower recovery with a time constant of 3 ps followed by a much slower recovery of 500 ps.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Aug 24, 1992•0 citations

ALL-OPTICAL BISTABLE SWITCHING WITH GAIN IN AN INGAAS/GAAS QUANTUM-WELL WAVE-GUIDE

Ta-Wei Kao, Patrick LiKamWa, A. Miller +3 more

The gain characteristics of strained layer InGaAs quantum well laser amplifiers grown on GaAs substrates have been characterized using a Ti-sapphire laser in both CW and self-mode-locked configuration. All-optical bistability was achieved in such a device through the nonlinear refractive index that arises as a result of the gain saturation of the diode amplifier at high optical intensities. The Ti-sapphire laser was modified to produce wavelength tunable pulses of the order of 150 fs with a 15 nm spectral bandwidth in order to measure the dynamics of the gain using a time resolved optical pump-probe technique. The gain saturation occurs on the time scale of the pulse width of the laser and the initial recovery is extremely fast. This initial speedy recovery on a time scale of 100 fs is followed by a slower recovery with a time constant of 3 ps followed by a much slower recovery of 500 ps.

Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research•Jan 1, 1992•0 citations

Direct measurement of dispersive nonlinearities in GaAs

Y. H. Lee, B. K. Rhee, Arturo Chavez-Pirson +3 more

Nonlinear refractive-index changes in GaAs are obtained at room temperature by measuring shifts of Fabry-Perot (F.P.) transmission. The 299-Å multiple-quantum-well GaAs sample was sandwiched between two dielectric mirrors (90% reflectivity) to form a F.P. etalon (finesse =10). The pump beam was tuned to 821 nm and modulated to obtain 1-μs pulses at 10 kHz. The photoluminescence from a focused pump spot at the GaAs etalon was used as a broadband probe source. Since the photoluminescence is due to carriers generated by a pump beam, the pump and probe beams automatically align themselves. The fast electronic nonlinearity exhibited blue shifts (negative index changes) of the F.P. transmission peaks, while the slow thermal nonlinearity showed red shifts (positive index changes). Nonlinear index changes were calculated from the measured shifts of the F.P. peaks for different pump intensities. A self-consistent F.P. phase function for this calculation was obtained assuming lengths of 2.9 and 1.5 μm for the GaAs and air gap, respectively. Optical bistability was most easily observed for the region of large index change (873-878 nm). The slow nonlinear index changes below the band gap showed nonresonant characteristics rather than resonant, saturable behavior.

Annual Meeting Optical Society of America•Jan 1, 1986•4 citations

The Geometrical Dependence of Transient Optical Nonlinearities in Multiple Quantum Well Structures

R. J. Manning, D. W. Crust, Alan Miller +1 more

Semiconductor multiple quantum well structures exhibit very large, room temperature, nonlinear refractive effects associated with resolvable excitonic features [1]. These nonlinearities may find use in all-optical devices if sufficient refractive index change can be achieved before the exciton completely saturates [2]. A unique aspect of band gap resonant optical, nonlinearities in quantum wells is the spatial confinement of the generated carriers within the layers. We have exploited the excitonic refractive nonlinearity in GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells in two separate degenerate four wave mixing configurations. These compare the intra-well and cross-well contributions to highly anisotropic carrier diffusion and also allow measurement of carrier relaxation rates and the saturation of the excitonic nonlinear refraction with increasing intensity.

Topical Meeting on Optical Bistability (OB)•Jan 1, 1988•0 citations

Optical saturation of intersubband absorption in GaAs-AlxGa1−xAs quantum wells

François Henri Julien, Jean–Michel Lourtioz, N. Herschkorn +5 more

We have investigated intersubband absorptions between the conduction ground state and the first excited state of two AlxGa1−xAs/GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs multiple quantum well structures with x=0.3 and 85 Å well width, and with x=0.57 and 96 Å well width. Small-signal measurements show absorption peaks at 10.45 and 10.15 μm, respectively. Under an intense resonant excitation from a pulsed CO2 laser, saturation of the intersubband absorption occurred. The saturation intensity is estimated to be 340±120 kW/cm2 for the first sample and 375±120 kW/cm2 for the second. From these values, we have deduced subband decay times of the order of 10.6±3.5 ps for the first sample and 15.5±5 ps for the second.

Applied Physics Letters•Jul 11, 1988•110 citations
The nonlinear saturation of the excitonic absorbtion in a GaAs-InxGa 1-xAs multiple quantum well sample consisting of 80 wells was investigated in the vicinity of the excitonic resonance at 991 nm using a tuneable titanium sapphire laser probe. This characterization yields a saturation intensity s of less than 50 kW/cm and a maximum off-resonance nonlinear refractive index of 6.42 x 10-7 cm2/W. It is shown that this dispersion can lead to practical optically bistable etalons fabricated from these multiple quantum well structures.
The nonlinear saturation of the excitonic absorbtion in a GaAs‐InxGa1−xAs multiple quantum well sample consisting of 80 wells was investigated in the vicinity of the excitonic resonance at 991 nm using a tunable titanium sapphire laser probe. This characterization yields a saturation intensity of less than 50 kW/cm2 and a maximum off‐resonance nonlinear refractive index of 6.42–10−7 cm2/W. This dispersion can lead to practical optically bistable etalons fabricated from these multiple quantum well structures.
The gain characteristics of strained layer InGaAs quantum well laser amplifiers grown on GaAs substrates have been characterized using a Ti-sapphire laser in both CW and self-mode- locked configuration. All-optical bistability was achieved in such a device through the nonlinear refractive index that arises as a result of the gain saturation of the diode amplifier at high optical intensities. The Ti-sapphire laser was modified to produce wavelength tunable pulses of the order of 150 fs with a 15 nm spectral bandwidth in order to measure the dynamics of the gain using a time resolved optical pump-probe technique. The gain saturation occurs on the time scale of the pulse width of the laser and the initial recovery is extremely fast. This initial speedy recovery on a time scale of 100 fs is followed by a slower recovery with a time constant of 3 ps followed by a much slower recovery of 500 ps.
The gain characteristics of strained layer InGaAs quantum well laser amplifiers grown on GaAs substrates have been characterized using a Ti-sapphire laser in both CW and self-mode-locked configuration. All-optical bistability was achieved in such a device through the nonlinear refractive index that arises as a result of the gain saturation of the diode amplifier at high optical intensities. The Ti-sapphire laser was modified to produce wavelength tunable pulses of the order of 150 fs with a 15 nm spectral bandwidth in order to measure the dynamics of the gain using a time resolved optical pump-probe technique. The gain saturation occurs on the time scale of the pulse width of the laser and the initial recovery is extremely fast. This initial speedy recovery on a time scale of 100 fs is followed by a slower recovery with a time constant of 3 ps followed by a much slower recovery of 500 ps.
Nonlinear refractive-index changes in GaAs are obtained at room temperature by measuring shifts of Fabry-Perot (F.P.) transmission. The 299-Å multiple-quantum-well GaAs sample was sandwiched between two dielectric mirrors (90% reflectivity) to form a F.P. etalon (finesse =10). The pump beam was tuned to 821 nm and modulated to obtain 1-μs pulses at 10 kHz. The photoluminescence from a focused pump spot at the GaAs etalon was used as a broadband probe source. Since the photoluminescence is due to carriers generated by a pump beam, the pump and probe beams automatically align themselves. The fast electronic nonlinearity exhibited blue shifts (negative index changes) of the F.P. transmission peaks, while the slow thermal nonlinearity showed red shifts (positive index changes). Nonlinear index changes were calculated from the measured shifts of the F.P. peaks for different pump intensities. A self-consistent F.P. phase function for this calculation was obtained assuming lengths of 2.9 and 1.5 μm for the GaAs and air gap, respectively. Optical bistability was most easily observed for the region of large index change (873-878 nm). The slow nonlinear index changes below the band gap showed nonresonant characteristics rather than resonant, saturable behavior.
Semiconductor multiple quantum well structures exhibit very large, room temperature, nonlinear refractive effects associated with resolvable excitonic features [1]. These nonlinearities may find use in all-optical devices if sufficient refractive index change can be achieved before the exciton completely saturates [2]. A unique aspect of band gap resonant optical, nonlinearities in quantum wells is the spatial confinement of the generated carriers within the layers. We have exploited the excitonic refractive nonlinearity in GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells in two separate degenerate four wave mixing configurations. These compare the intra-well and cross-well contributions to highly anisotropic carrier diffusion and also allow measurement of carrier relaxation rates and the saturation of the excitonic nonlinear refraction with increasing intensity.
We have investigated intersubband absorptions between the conduction ground state and the first excited state of two AlxGa1−xAs/GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs multiple quantum well structures with x=0.3 and 85 Å well width, and with x=0.57 and 96 Å well width. Small-signal measurements show absorption peaks at 10.45 and 10.15 μm, respectively. Under an intense resonant excitation from a pulsed CO2 laser, saturation of the intersubband absorption occurred. The saturation intensity is estimated to be 340±120 kW/cm2 for the first sample and 375±120 kW/cm2 for the second. From these values, we have deduced subband decay times of the order of 10.6±3.5 ps for the first sample and 15.5±5 ps for the second.