Femtosecond all-optical polarization switching based on the virtual excitation of spin-polarized excitons in quantum wells

Gansen, Eric J.; Jarašiūnas, K.; Smirl, Arthur L.

doi:10.1063/1.1447596

Cited by 39 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Unlike most familiar switching schemes based on photo-induced changes of the medium macroscopic refractive index [3] or other less usual ones based instead on virtual excitation of spin-polarized excitons [8] or on switchable mirrors made of thin polycrystalline films [9], this mechanism relies on quantum interference and hence it is quite sensitive. Quantum interference based phenomena such as, e.g., coherent population trapping [10], electromagnetically induced transparency [11], lasing without inversion [12], and light speed reduction [13] have recently attracted considerable attention.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrafast All Optical Switching via Tunable Fano Interference

et al. 2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tunneling induced quantum interference experienced by an incident probe in asymmetric double quantum wells can easily be modulated by means of an external control light beam. This phenomenon, which is here examined within the dressed-state picture, can be exploited to devise a novel all-optical ultrafast switch. For a suitably designed semiconductor heterostructure, the switch is found to exhibit frequency bandwidths of the order of 0.1 THz and response and recovery times of about 1 ps. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.057401 PACS numbers: 78.67.De, 42.50.Gy, 42.50.Hz, 78.66.Fd Transmission and switching of data using all-optical devices is currently the ultimate goal of most telecommunication research. To build all-optical networking systems, optical analogues of existing microelectronics devices must clearly be found. Interesting proposals toward the realization of fast switches, for instance, have already been brought forward whereas important steps toward their actual implementation are now being made. Schemes based on dipole-dipole interactions [1], nonlinear Bragg diffraction [2], photonic band-gap materials [3], as well as those most recent ones based on quantum interference in atomic media [4 -7] all seem to be quite promising.This Letter describes a proof-of-principle study demonstrating that tunable tunneling induced quantum interference in asymmetric quantum wells can be exploited to devise an efficient new mechanism for ultrafast and broadband all-optical switching working at low temperatures (T 10 K). Unlike most familiar switching schemes based on photo-induced changes of the medium macroscopic refractive index [3] or other less usual ones based instead on virtual excitation of spin-polarized excitons [8] or on switchable mirrors made of thin polycrystalline films [9], this mechanism relies on quantum interference and hence it is quite sensitive. Quantum interference based phenomena such as, e.g., coherent population trapping [10], electromagnetically induced transparency [11], lasing without inversion [12], and light speed reduction [13] have recently attracted considerable attention. For many potential applications, solid-state solutions to implement these effects, first predicted and observed in dilute atomic media, are preferred and are now being sought after. In solid media [14] only few proposals followed the original idea of making use of quantum interference to devise an optical switch, first suggested [4] to work and recently observed [6] on a four-level atomic system.We investigate the steady-state and transient behavior of a weak probe light signal incident upon an asymmetric quantum well. The probe can be stopped in the presence of an external control switch beam but made instead to propagate with little absorption when the switch beam is off. The different response depends, respectively, on whether tunneling induced quantum interference is quenched or well developed. Such a control of quantum interference hinges on the creation of a new dipole allowed intersubband transition. Large pro...

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultrafast All Optical Switching via Tunable Fano Interference

et al. 2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…An optically addressed coherent polarization switch, designated as a Stark spin switch, is based on the nearresonant excitation of a spin-polarized population of ''virtual excitons'' in unstrained multiple quantum wells, with a switching time of less than 2 ps. Such a switch has been demonstrated [37], found to exhibit a pulse-widthlimited response, and found to be capable of producing relatively large contrast ratios in thin samples. The switching mechanisms were experimentally analyzed by systematically performing spectrally and temporally resolved differential transmission measurements and by fully determining the polarization state of the transmitted signal as a function of time delay; they were theoretically analyzed using a microscopic theory that included manybody effects [38].…”

Section: Ferromagnetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spintronics—A retrospective and perspective

Wolf¹,

Chtchelkanova²,

Treger³

2006

IBM J. Res. & Dev.

252

133

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Spintronics is a rapidly emerging field of science and technology that will most likely have a significant impact on the future of all aspects of electronics as we continue to move into the 21st century. Conventional electronics are based on the charge of the electron. Attempts to use the other fundamental property of an electron, its spin, have given rise to a new, rapidly evolving field, known as spintronics, an acronym for spin transport electronics that was first introduced in 1996 to designate a program of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Initially, the spintronics program involved overseeing the development of advanced magnetic memory and sensors based on spin transport electronics. It was then expanded to included Spins IN Semiconductors (SPINS), in the hope of developing a new paradigm in semiconductor electronics based on the spin degree of freedom of the electron. Studies of spin-polarized transport in bulk and low-dimensional semiconductor structures show promise for the creation of a hybrid device that would combine magnetic storage with gain-in effect, a spin memory transistor. This paper reviews some of the major developments in this field and provides a perspective of what we think will be the future of this exciting field. It is not meant to be a comprehensive review of the whole field but reflects a bias on the part of the authors toward areas that they believe will lead to significant future technologies.

show abstract

“…After excitation, the electrons relax to equilibrium to produce equal numbers of spin-up and spin-down electrons. The optical nonlinearity associated with the phase space filling and spin relaxation can be exploited for ultrafast polarisation-switching applications [14]. High contrast polarization switching has been achieved (25 dB) on a time scale of only ∼350 fs.…”

Section: Investigation Of All-optical Polarization Switching In Gainnmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Progress in Development of GaInNAs¿ Based Photonic Devices

Konttinen

Tuomisto

Guină

et al. 2006

2006 International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The GaInNAs/GaAs semiconductor heterostructures have emerged as promising alternatives to InP-based compound semiconductors for the fabrication of 1.3-µm METRO and LAN telecommunications lasers. We shall review the recent advances made in the field of the GaInNAs technology. An emphasis is put on the development of low-threshold double-quantum-well (DQW) and triple-quantum-well (TQW) ridge waveguide lasers (RWG) grown by molecular beam epitaxy. A record slope efficiency of 0.28 W/A and a low threshold current density of 278 A/cm 2 /QW are demonstrated in this paper for the TQW single-mode lasers. We shall also discuss the first measurements of electron-spin relaxation in dilute nitride quantum-wells. Excitation of spinpolarized electrons is potentially attractive for implementing all-optical polarization switches in a broad wavelength range.

show abstract

Femtosecond all-optical polarization switching based on the virtual excitation of spin-polarized excitons in quantum wells

Cited by 39 publications

References 21 publications

Ultrafast All Optical Switching via Tunable Fano Interference

Ultrafast All Optical Switching via Tunable Fano Interference

Spintronics—A retrospective and perspective

Recent Progress in Development of GaInNAs¿ Based Photonic Devices

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About