Optical/Terahertz Properties of Semiconductor Quantum Wells

David S. Citrin

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Georgia Institute of Technology

In this talk I discuss the theory of the optical properties of semiconductor quantum wells in the presence of strong THz-frequency electric fields. Combined optical and THz fields lead to nontrivially coupled interband and intraband carrier dynamics; from the viewpoint of nonlinear optics, optical/THz mixing in quantum wells provides for strong nonlinear wave mixing. I will begin by discussing the basic physics of optical/THz phenomena in quantum wells, and will then follow up with a review of possible applications in broadband all-optical switching.