Based on a microscopic many-particle theory, we predict large optical gain in the probe and background-free four-wave mixing directions caused by excitonic instabilities in semiconductor quantum wells. For a single quantum well with radiative-decay limited dephasing in a typical pump-probe setup we discuss the microscopic driving mechanisms and polarization and frequency dependence of these instabilities.
We demonstrate a novel kind of polariton four wave mixing oscillation. Two pump polaritons scatter towards final states that emit two beams of equal intensity, separated both spatially and in polarization with respect to the pumps. The measurement of the intensity fluctuations of the emitted light demonstrates that the final states are strongly correlated.
In this paper we will review Exciton Spin Dynamics in Semiconductor Quantum Wells. The spin properties of excitons in nanostructures are determined by their fine structure. We will mainly focus in this review on GaAs and InGaAs quantum wells which are model systems.
Non-perturbative phenomena in four-wave mixing spectra of semiconductors are studied using the exact solution of a widely used phenomenological non-linear equation of motion of the exciton polarization. It is shown that Coulomb interaction, included in the nonlinearity, leads to two characteristic effects, which are essentially of dynamical origin, -- a split of the exciton peak and a non-monotonous dependence of the response at the exciton frequency on the magnitude of the external field. Relations between the spectral features and the parameters of the system is obtained. It is found that the transition from perturbative to non-perturbative regimes is controlled by parameters inversely proportional to the decay rate. It implies that the condition of low excitation density does not necessarily warrant applicability of the perturbational approach.
Experimental and theoretical studies of all-optical spin pump and probe of resident electrons in CdTe/(Cd,Mg)Te semiconductor quantum wells are reported. A two-color Hanle-MOKE technique (based on continuous-wave excitation) and time-resolved Kerr rotation in the regime of resonant spin amplification (based on pulsed excitation) provide a complementary measure of electron spin relaxation time. Influence of electron localization on long-lived spin coherence is examined by means of spectral and temperature dependencies. Various scenarios of spin polarization generation (via the trion and exciton states) are analyzed and difference between continuous-wave and pulsed excitations is considered. Effects related to inhomogeneous distribution of $g$-factor and anisotropic spin relaxation time on measured quantities are discussed.
We report on two pulse, degenerate four wave mixing (DFWM) measurements on shallow InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) grown on sapphire substrates. These reveal pulse length limited signal decays. We have found a 10:1 resonant enhancement of the DFWM signal at the excitonic transition frequencies which thereby give a sharp discrimination of the discrete excitonic contributions within the featureless distribution seen in absorption spectra. The exciton resonances have peak positions, which yield good overall agreement with a full k.P model calculation for the quantum well energy levels and optical transition matrix elements. InGaN/GaN MQWs generally exhibit strongly inhomogeneously broadened excitation spectra due to indium fluctuation effects; this approach therefore affords a practical method to extract information on the excited excitonic states not available previously