Abstract

It was shown recently that driving an optically excited quantum well with a terahertz (THz) frequency electric field can lead to higher-harmonic generation in the THz regime: the THz analog of the dynamic Franz–Keldysh effect. We propose a new double-pulse excitation method that not only increases the efficiency of the harmonic generation but is also able to control somewhat the dominant upshifted harmonic of the THz radiation by means of selective excitation of spatially chosen electron–hole relative motion wave packets.

© 1999 Optical Society of America

Dynamic Franz–Keldysh effect:?excitonic versus free-carrier excitation schemes

S. Hughes and D. S. Citrin
Opt. Lett. 24(15) 1068-1070 (1999)

Interaction of terahertz transients and broadband optical pulses in quantum wells

Steven Hughes and David S. Citrin
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 17(1) 128-137 (2000)

Tunable terahertz emission through multiple Rabi flopping in a dc-biased quantum well:?a new strategy

S. Hughes and D. S. Citrin
Opt. Lett. 24(17) 1242-1244 (1999)

Tunability in the Terahertz Regime: Charge-Carrier Wavepacket Manipulation in Quantum Wells

S. Hughes and D.S. Citrin
Appl. Opt. 38(34) 7153-7154 (1999)

Broadband terahertz emission through exciton trapping in a semiconductor quantum well

S. Hughes and D. S. Citrin
Opt. Lett. 26(1) 1-3 (2001)