Ebook: Optical Switching in Low-Dimensional Systems

This book contains all the papers presented at the NATO workshop on "Optical Switching in Low Dimensional Systems" held in Marbella, Spain from October 6th to 8th, 1988. Optical switching is a basic function for optical data processing, which is of technological interest because of its potential parallelism and its potential speed. Semiconductors which exhibit resonance enhanced optical nonlinearities in the frequency range close to the band edge are the most intensively studied materials for optical bistability and fast gate operation. Modern crystal growth techniques, particularly molecular beam epitaxy, allow the manufacture of semiconductor microstructures such as quantum wells, quantum wires and quantum dots in which the electrons are only free to move in two, one or zero dimensions, of the optically excited electron-hole pairs in these low respectively. The spatial confinement dimensional structures gives rise to an enhancement of the excitonic nonlinearities. Furthermore, the variations of the microstruture extensions, of the compositions, and of the doping offer great new flexibility in engineering the desired optical properties. Recently, organic chain molecules (such as polydiacetilene) which are different realizations of one dimensional electronic systems, have been shown also to have interesting optical nonlinearities. Both the development and study of optical and electro-optical devices, as well as experimental and theoretical investigations of the underlying optical nonlinearities, are contained in this book.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
Integrated Quantum Well Switching Devices....Pages 1-8
Intrinsic Optical Bistability and Collective Nonlinear Phenomena in Periodic Coupled Microstructures: Model Experiments....Pages 9-23
Carrier Induced Effects of Quantum Well Structure and its Application to Optical Modulators and Optical Switches....Pages 25-33
Optical Bistability and Nonlinear Switching in Quantum Well Amplifiers....Pages 35-48
Patterned Quantum Well Semiconductor Lasers....Pages 49-59
High Injection Effects in Quantum Well Lasers....Pages 61-69
Real and Virtual Charge Polarizations in DC Biased Low-Dimensional Semiconductor Structures....Pages 71-82
Nonlinear Optical Properties of n-i-p-i and Hetero n-i-p-i Structures....Pages 83-95
Excitonic Optical Nonlinearities in Polydiacetylene: The Mechanisms....Pages 97-106
Cubic Nonlinear Optical Effects in Conjugated 1D II-Electron Systems....Pages 107-117
Optical Stark Shift in Quantum Wells....Pages 119-127
Femtosecond Spectroscopy of Optically Excited Quantum Well Structures....Pages 129-137
Femtosecond Dynamics of Semiconductor Nonlinearities: Theory and Experiments....Pages 139-150
Stationary Solutions for the Excitonic Optical Stark Effect in Two and Three Dimensional Semiconductors....Pages 151-158
Coherent Nonlinear Edge Dynamics in Semiconductor Quantum Wells....Pages 159-169
Exciton Stark Shift : Biexcitonic Origin and Exciton Splitting....Pages 171-179
Quantum Size Effects and Photocarrier Dynamics in the Optical Nonlinearities of Semiconductor Microcrystallites....Pages 181-190
Optical Nonlinearities and Femtosecond Dynamics of Quantum Confined CdSe Microcrystallites....Pages 191-201
Enhanced Optical Nonlinearity and Very Rapid Response Due to Excitons in Quantum Wells and Dots....Pages 203-210
Excitons in Quantum Boxes....Pages 211-218
Luminescence of GaAs/A1 GaAs MQW Structures under Picosecond and Nanosecond Excitation....Pages 219-231
Nonlinearities, Coherence and Dephasing in Layered GaSe and in CdSe Surface Layer....Pages 233-241
Excitons in II-VI Compound Semiconductor Superlattices: A Range of Possibilities with ZnSe Based Heterostructures....Pages 243-250
Biexcitons in ZnSe Quantum Wells....Pages 251-256
Biexcitonic Nonlinearity in Quantum Wires....Pages 257-265
Ultrafast Dynamics of Excitons in GaAs Single Quantum Wells....Pages 267-278
Transient Optical Nonlinearities in Multiple Quantum Well Structures....Pages 279-288
Excitons in Thin Films....Pages 289-300
Band Structure Engineering of Non-Linear Response in Semiconductor Superlattices....Pages 301-307
Spectral Holeburning and Four-Wave Mixing in InGaAs/InP Quantum Wells....Pages 309-320
Excitonic Enhancement of Stimulated Recombination in GaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Wells....Pages 321-329
Carrier Relaxation and Recombination in (GAAS) (ALAS) Short Period Superlattices....Pages 331-340
Picosecond and Subpicosecond Luminescence of GaAs/GaAlAs Superlattices....Pages 341-352
The Electron-Hole Plasma in Quasi Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Semiconductors....Pages 353-360
Optical Spectroscopy on Two- and One-Dimensional Semiconductor Structures....Pages 361-374
Back Matter....Pages 375-381

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
Integrated Quantum Well Switching Devices....Pages 1-8
Intrinsic Optical Bistability and Collective Nonlinear Phenomena in Periodic Coupled Microstructures: Model Experiments....Pages 9-23
Carrier Induced Effects of Quantum Well Structure and its Application to Optical Modulators and Optical Switches....Pages 25-33
Optical Bistability and Nonlinear Switching in Quantum Well Amplifiers....Pages 35-48
Patterned Quantum Well Semiconductor Lasers....Pages 49-59
High Injection Effects in Quantum Well Lasers....Pages 61-69
Real and Virtual Charge Polarizations in DC Biased Low-Dimensional Semiconductor Structures....Pages 71-82
Nonlinear Optical Properties of n-i-p-i and Hetero n-i-p-i Structures....Pages 83-95
Excitonic Optical Nonlinearities in Polydiacetylene: The Mechanisms....Pages 97-106
Cubic Nonlinear Optical Effects in Conjugated 1D II-Electron Systems....Pages 107-117
Optical Stark Shift in Quantum Wells....Pages 119-127
Femtosecond Spectroscopy of Optically Excited Quantum Well Structures....Pages 129-137
Femtosecond Dynamics of Semiconductor Nonlinearities: Theory and Experiments....Pages 139-150
Stationary Solutions for the Excitonic Optical Stark Effect in Two and Three Dimensional Semiconductors....Pages 151-158
Coherent Nonlinear Edge Dynamics in Semiconductor Quantum Wells....Pages 159-169
Exciton Stark Shift : Biexcitonic Origin and Exciton Splitting....Pages 171-179
Quantum Size Effects and Photocarrier Dynamics in the Optical Nonlinearities of Semiconductor Microcrystallites....Pages 181-190
Optical Nonlinearities and Femtosecond Dynamics of Quantum Confined CdSe Microcrystallites....Pages 191-201
Enhanced Optical Nonlinearity and Very Rapid Response Due to Excitons in Quantum Wells and Dots....Pages 203-210
Excitons in Quantum Boxes....Pages 211-218
Luminescence of GaAs/A1 GaAs MQW Structures under Picosecond and Nanosecond Excitation....Pages 219-231
Nonlinearities, Coherence and Dephasing in Layered GaSe and in CdSe Surface Layer....Pages 233-241
Excitons in II-VI Compound Semiconductor Superlattices: A Range of Possibilities with ZnSe Based Heterostructures....Pages 243-250
Biexcitons in ZnSe Quantum Wells....Pages 251-256
Biexcitonic Nonlinearity in Quantum Wires....Pages 257-265
Ultrafast Dynamics of Excitons in GaAs Single Quantum Wells....Pages 267-278
Transient Optical Nonlinearities in Multiple Quantum Well Structures....Pages 279-288
Excitons in Thin Films....Pages 289-300
Band Structure Engineering of Non-Linear Response in Semiconductor Superlattices....Pages 301-307
Spectral Holeburning and Four-Wave Mixing in InGaAs/InP Quantum Wells....Pages 309-320
Excitonic Enhancement of Stimulated Recombination in GaAs/AlGaAs Multiple Quantum Wells....Pages 321-329
Carrier Relaxation and Recombination in (GAAS) (ALAS) Short Period Superlattices....Pages 331-340
Picosecond and Subpicosecond Luminescence of GaAs/GaAlAs Superlattices....Pages 341-352
The Electron-Hole Plasma in Quasi Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Semiconductors....Pages 353-360
Optical Spectroscopy on Two- and One-Dimensional Semiconductor Structures....Pages 361-374
Back Matter....Pages 375-381
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