Abstract

Semiconductor superlattices allow the development of materials with enhanced nonlinear optical characteristics over those found in bulk semiconductors. For both doping and compositional superlattices a one-dimensional periodic potential is introduced which modifies the electronic energy band structure. This paper reports the investigation of the optimization of nonparabolic subbands in compensated short-period GaAs doping superlattices for enhancement of a nonresonant third-order optical susceptibility. This nonlinear phenomenon would be useful for nonlinear optical applications requiring long wavelengths or wavelength insensitivity.

© 1988 Optical Society of America