Abstract

A theory of second-order nonlinear susceptibility based on intersubband processes in asymmetric quantum-well structures is developed. Large off-resonance nonlinearity is predicted, and its origin is explained. The calculations have shown that the second-harmonic coefficient in the 10-μm range reaches 5 × 10⁻⁹ m/V and the Pockels coefficient reaches 2 × 10⁻⁸ m/V. The dependence of second-order nonlinear coefficients on band-gap offsets, effective masses, well geometries, and doping concentration is investigated. The intersubband absorption is shown to be the main factor limiting the efficiency of quantum-well-based nonlinear-optical devices. The expressions for the absorption-limited efficiency of second-order nonlinear devices are obtained. The results show that asymmetric quantum-well structures can be efficiently used in many infrared applications.

© 1989 Optical Society of America

Double-resonance enhanced intersubband second-order nonlinear optical susceptibilities in GaN/AlGaN step quantum wells

F. Wu, W. Tian, J. Zhang, S. Wang, Q. X. Wan, J. N. Dai, Z. H. Wu, J. T. Xu, X. Y. Li, Y. Y. Fang, and C. Q. Chen
Opt. Express 22(12) 14212-14220 (2014)

Interband difference-frequency generation by means of resonant intersubband transitions in asymmetric quantum wells

A. Neogi, Y. Takahashi, and H. Kawaguchi
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 14(3) 570-581 (1997)

Coulomb enhancement of ultrafast nonlinearities in quantum-well structures

J. Khurgin
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 9(1) 157-172 (1992)

Quantum-well intermixing for the control of second-order nonlinear effects in AlGaAs multiple-quantum-well waveguides

M. W. Street, N. D. Whitbread, D. C. Hutchings, J. M. Arnold, J. H. Marsh, J. S. Aitchison, G. T. Kennedy, and W. Sibbett
Opt. Lett. 22(21) 1600-1602 (1997)

Intersubband transition in lattice-matched BGaN/AlN quantum well structures with high absorption coefficients

Seoung-Hwan Park, Doyeol Ahn, and Chan-Yong Park
Opt. Express 25(4) 3143-3152 (2017)