Coherent control of exciton density and spin

Author

Heberle, Albert P. ; Baumberg, Jeremy J. ; Binder, Eberhard ; Kuhn, Tilmann ; Köhler, Klaus ; Ploog, Klaus H.

Author_Institution

Hitachi Cambridge Lab., Cambridge, UK

Volume

2

Issue

3

fYear

1996

fDate

9/1/1996 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

769

Lastpage

775

Abstract

We demonstrate femtosecond coherent control of excitons in quantum wells with phase-locked pairs of 100 fs infrared pulses. Copolarized pump pulses allow coherent control of exciton density and coherent destruction of excitons within a few hundred femtoseconds of their creation. This technique thus promises to avoid speed penalties in devices associated with long-lived persistent carrier populations. Cross-polarized pump pulses allow coherent control of spin dynamics and conversion of unpolarized excitons into spin polarized ones. Carrier density and spin are determined, respectively, from the differential reflection and from the Faraday rotation of a third probe pulse. The experimental results are in good agreement with calculations based on the semiconductor Bloch equations

Keywords

Faraday effect; carrier density; excitons; high-speed optical techniques; light coherence; light polarisation; semiconductor quantum wells; spin dynamics; 100 fs; Faraday rotation; carrier density; coherent control; coherent exciton destruction; copolarized pump pulses; cross-polarized pump pulses; exciton density; femtosecond coherent control; fs infrared pulses; long-lived persistent carrier populations; phase-locked pairs; probe pulse; quantum wells; semiconductor Bloch equations; speed penalties; spin; spin polarized excitons; unpolarized excitons; Excitons; Interference; Laser beams; Laser excitation; Optical pulses; Polarization; Probes; Pulse measurements; Pump lasers; Ultrafast optics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1077-260X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/2944.571778

Filename

571778