Linear and nonlinear optical properties of quantum well with position-dependent effective mass

Optical properties of quantum well nanostructure for typical GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs are investigated in a new approach. By using the point canonical transformation method and numerical solution of the Schrödinger equation, the energy levels and wave functions of electrons in the quantum well confinement potential are calculated. Then, the effect of position-dependent effective mass on the intersubband optical absorption coefficient and the refractive index changes of the quantum well calculated by compact density matrix method, are studied. Results are compared with the case of constant mass. Our results show that with considering spatially varying electron effective mass linear and nonlinear optical properties increases and shifts toward the lower energies. Researches on this matter open a new field in fundamental and applied physics, and also offer a wide range of potential applications for photonic devices.