Microscopic Origin of Femtosecond Spectral Hole Burning in Quantum Wells

Wayne H. Knox, C. Hirlimann, David A. B. Miller +3 more

J. L. Oudar, J. Dubard, F. ALEXANDRE +3 more

The dynamical spectral-hole-burning effect, due to selective saturation of the optically coupled states, has been observed in the femto-second regime in a GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well structure. Comparison with previous results on bulk GaAs under similar excitation conditions shows that carrier-carrier collisions are about twice as efficient in the quantum wells, due to the reduction of screening efficiency in two-dimensional structures, as well as the increase of band-gap renormalization with respect to the bulk material.

Stefan Schmidt

Sébastien Fraigne, Jean‐Pierre Galaup, J.-L. Le Gouët +4 more

Spatio-temporal holography using persistent spectral hole-burning in dye molecules embedded in plastic films is promising for applications such as femtosecond pulse shaping, data storage or phase conjugation. In addition to the common 2 spatial dimensions of classical holograms, each point in the sample plane can be used to store spectral informations such as the shape of a femtosecond pulse. On each point of the sample, spectral interferences between a reference pulse and an object pulse (for example chirped) are recorded via spectral hole-burning in the absorption band of the dye molecule. As early as 1983, photon echo and time-reversal experiments using persistent spectral hole-burning were performed in porphyrazine styrol solutions at 630 nm [1]. Then several developments, like the reconstruction of the polarization state of object pulses [2], time and space holography [3,4], image holograms using a single pair of femtosecond pulses [5] were demonstrated in different photosensitive media.

R. N. Shakhmuratov, R. A. Khasanshin

T. Chanelière, Sébastien Fraigne, Jean‐Pierre Galaup +4 more

In a series of experiments we explore various aspects of femtosecond pulse shaping by coherent filters engraved in a persistent spectral hole burning (PSHB) material. We have in mind the coherent control of quantum systems, with high resolution and large number of addressable spectral points. We examine the phase correction efficiency of this approach, relying on Fourier transform spectral interferometry techniques to characterize the coherent filter. Two different PSHB materials are considered, with two different setups, involving different values of repetition rate, fluence, wavelength, spectral width and pulse duration.