Enhancement of Two-Photon Absorption in Quantum Wells for Extremely Nondegenerate Photon Pairs

We recently demonstrated orders of magnitude enhancement of two-photon absorption (2PA) in direct gap semiconductors due to intermediate state resonance enhancement for photons of very different energies. It can be expected that further enhancement of nondegenerate 2PA will be observed in quantum wells (QWs), since the intraband matrix elements do not vanish near the band center, as they do in the bulk, and the density of states in QWs is larger near the band edge. Here, we present a perturbation-theory-based theoretical description of nondegenerate 2PA in semiconductor QWs, where both the frequency and the polarization of two incident waves can vary independently. Analytical expressions for all possible permutations of frequencies and polarizations have been obtained, and the results are compared with the degenerate 2PA in QWs along with the degenerate 2PA and the nondegenerate 2PA in bulk semiconductors. We show that using QWs in place of bulk semiconductors with both the beams in the transverse magnetic-polarized mode leads to an additional order of magnitude increase in the nondegenerate 2PA. Explicit calculations for GaAs QWs are presented.

[1]  S. Mino,et al.  160-Gb/s optical-time-division multiplexing with PPLN hybrid integrated planar lightwave circuit , 2003, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[2]  G. Stegeman,et al.  Two-photon transitions between bound-to-continuum states in AlGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum well , 1998, Technical Digest. Summaries of Papers Presented at the International Quantum Electronics Conference. Conference Edition. 1998 Technical Digest Series, Vol.7 (IEEE Cat. No.98CH36236).

[3]  Sub-picosecond all-optical switch using a multi-quantum-well semiconductor optical amplifier , 2004 .

[4]  Ali Rostami,et al.  Low threshold and tunable all-optical switch using two-photon absorption in array of nonlinear ring resonators coupled to MZI , 2006, Microelectron. J..

[5]  Yasuhiko Arakawa,et al.  Quantum well lasers--Gain, spectra, dynamics , 1986 .

[6]  Jurgen Michel,et al.  Efficient evanescent wave coupling conditions for waveguide-integrated thin-film Si/Ge photodetectors on silicon-on-insulator/germanium-on-insulator substrates , 2011 .

[7]  J. Brédas,et al.  Resonant enhancement of two-photon absorption in substituted fluorene molecules. , 2004, The Journal of chemical physics.

[8]  J. D. Franson,et al.  All-optical switching using the quantum Zeno effect and two-photon absorption , 2009 .

[9]  D. Miller,et al.  Multiple quantum well reflection modulator , 1987 .

[10]  D. C. Hutchings,et al.  Nondegenerate two-photon absorption in zinc blende semiconductors , 1992 .

[11]  Chinlon Lin,et al.  Self-phase modulation in silica optical fibers (A) , 1978 .

[12]  Mansoor Sheik-Bahae,et al.  Dispersion of bound electron nonlinear refraction in solids , 1991 .

[13]  Spector.  Two-photon absorption in semiconducting quantum-well structures. , 1987, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[14]  R. Stolen,et al.  Parametric amplification and frequency conversion in optical fibers , 1982 .

[15]  E. W. Stryland,et al.  Energy band-gap dependence of two-photon absorption. , 1985, Optics letters.

[16]  R. Morandotti,et al.  Two-photon autocorrelation in a MQW GaAs laser at 1.55µm , 2009 .

[17]  Richard V. Penty,et al.  GaAs/GaAlAs multiquantum well waveguides for all-optical switching at 1.55 mu m , 1991 .

[18]  Cho,et al.  Two-photon absorption spectroscopy in GaAs quantum wells. , 1989, Physical review letters.

[19]  E. Cumberbatch.  Self-focusing in Non-linear Optics , 1970 .

[20]  W. S. Hobson,et al.  Nonlinear spectroscopy near half‐gap in bulk and quantum well GaAs/AlGaAs waveguides , 1992 .

[21]  I. White,et al.  Polarization and field dependent two‐photon absorption in GaAs/AlGaAs multiquantum well waveguides in the half‐band gap spectral region , 1991 .

[22]  Yia-Chung Chang,et al.  Valence‐band mixing effects on the gain and the refractive index change of quantum‐well lasers , 1988 .

[23]  E. W. Stryland,et al.  CW IR Detection in Wide-gap Semiconductors Using Extremely Nondegenerate Two-photon Absorption , 2013 .

[24]  Scott Webster,et al.  Extremely Nondegenerate Two-photon Absorption in Direct-gap Semiconductors [invited] References and Links , 2022 .

[25]  K. A. Shore,et al.  Pump–probe propagation in a passive Kerr nonlinear optical medium , 1995 .

[26]  C. Ironside.  Two-photon gain semiconductor amplifier , 1992 .

[27]  Jacob B. Khurgin,et al.  Nonlinear response of the semiconductor quantum-confined structures near and below the middle of the band gap , 1994 .

[28]  Pasquarello,et al.  Gauge-invariant two-photon transitions in quantum wells. , 1988, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[29]  Morin,et al.  Realization of a continuous-wave, two-photon optical laser. , 1992, Physical review letters.

[30]  R. Morandotti,et al.  Two-photon detection in a MQW GaAs laser at 1.55µm , 2009, 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and 2009 Conference on Quantum electronics and Laser Science Conference.

[31]  Marc Sorel,et al.  Polarization-dependent nonlinear refraction and two-photon absorption in GaAs/AlAs superlattice waveguides below the half-bandgap , 2007 .

[32]  H S Brandi,et al.  Multiphonon absorption coefficients in solids: a universal curve , 1983 .

[33]  J. Pallarès,et al.  Modeling of two-photon absorption in nonlinear photonic crystal all-optical switch , 2007 .

[34]  Joachim Piprek,et al.  Simulation of semiconductor optoelectronic devices , 2002 .

[35]  T. Wood.  Multiple quantum well (MQW) waveguide modulators , 1988 .

[36]  J. M. Luttinger.  Quantum Theory of Cyclotron Resonance in Semiconductors: General Theory , 1956 .

[37]  C. Xia,et al.  Nonlinear Franz–Keldysh effect: two-photon absorption in a semiconducting quantum well , 2010 .

[38]  Pavel Ginzburg,et al.  Observation of two-photon emission from semiconductors , 2008 .

[39]  David J. Hagan,et al.  Sensitive mid-infrared detection in wide-bandgap semiconductors using extreme non-degenerate two-photon absorption , 2011 .

[40]  E. W. Stryland,et al.  Scanning 3-D IR Imaging With a GaN Photodiode Using Nondegenerate Two-photon Absorption , 2013 .

[41]  Pavel Ginzburg,et al.  High-rate entanglement source via two-photon emission from semiconductor quantum wells , 2007 .

[42]  J. Khurgin,et al.  Excitonic enhancement of two-photon absorption in semiconductor quantum-well structures , 1995 .

[43]  Stephan W Koch,et al.  Physics of Optoelectronic Devices , 1995 .

[44]  P. L. Kelley,et al.  Self-focusing of optical beams , 1965, International Quantum Electronics Conference, 2005..

[45]  Margaret Buchanan,et al.  Near‐Room‐Temperature Mid‐Infrared Quantum Well Photodetector , 2011, Advanced materials.

[46]  D. Hutchings.  Electronic bandstructure of disordered superlattices , 1999 .

[47]  George I. Stegeman,et al.  Anisotropic Two-Photon Transition in GaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Well Waveguides , 1993, Nonlinear Optics: Materials, Fundamentals, and Applications.

[48]  L. Keldysh,et al.  IONIZATION IN THE FIELD OF A STRONG ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE , 1964 .

[49]  Howard R. Reiss,et al.  Intense-field effects in solids , 1977 .

[50]  R. Morandotti,et al.  Two-photon photodetector in a multiquantum well GaAs laser structure at 1.55 microm. , 2009, Optics express.

[51]  A. Godard,et al.  Measuring photon bunching at ultrashort timescale by two-photon absorption in semiconductors , 2009, 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and 2009 Conference on Quantum electronics and Laser Science Conference.

[52]  J. Khurgin,et al.  Two photon confined‐to‐continuum intersubband transitions in the semiconductor heterostructures , 1993 .

[53]  M. Buchanan,et al.  GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well photodetectors with a cutoff wavelength at 28 μm , 1998 .

[54]  W. Wiegmann,et al.  High-speed optical modulation with GaAs/GaAlAs quantum wells in a p-i-n diode structure , 1983, 1983 International Electron Devices Meeting.

[55]  E. V. Van Stryland,et al.  IR detection in wide-gap semiconductors using extreme nondegenerate two-photon absorption , 2012, 2012 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO).

[56]  Brian S. Wherrett,et al.  Scaling rules for multiphoton interband absorption in semiconductors , 1984 .

[57]  Julien Jaeck,et al.  Resonant metallic nanostructure for enhanced two-photon absorption in a thin GaAs p-i-n diode , 2014 .

[58]  R. Stolen.  Phase-matched-stimulated four-photon mixing in silica-fiber waveguides , 1975 .

[59]  J R Simpson,et al.  Cross-phase modulation in optical fibers. , 1987, Optics letters.

[60]  E. W. Schlag,et al.  Multiphoton Spectroscopy of Molecules , 2012 .

[61]  M. J. Soileau,et al.  Two-Photon Absorption, Nonlinear Refraction and Optical Limiting in Semiconductors , 1985 .

[62]  G. Strasser,et al.  Detectivity enhancement in quantum well infrared photodetectors utilizing a photonic crystal slab resonator. , 2012, Optics express.

[63]  David J. Hagan,et al.  Pulsed and CW IR detection in wide-gap semiconductors using extremely nondegenerate two-photon absorption , 2013, CLEO: 2013.

[64]  Shimizu.  Two-photon absorption in quantum-well structures near half the direct band gap. , 1989, Physical Review B (Condensed Matter).

[65]  D. Hutchings.  Theory of ultrafast nonlinear refraction in semiconductor superlattices , 2004, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[66]  E. Kane,et al.  Band structure of indium antimonide , 1957 .

[67]  Kamjou Mansour,et al.  Optical limiting with semiconductors , 1988 .

[68]  Fujio Shimizu,et al.  Frequency Broadening in Liquids by a Short Light Pulse , 1967 .

[69]  Maria Goeppert-Mayer.  Über Elementarakte mit zwei Quantensprüngen , 1931 .

[70]  I. M. Catalano,et al.  Two-photon absorption processes in GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs quantum wells , 1990 .

[71]  P. T. Rakich,et al.  All-optical-switching demonstration using two-photon absorption and the Zeno effect , 2012, 1206.0930.