Resonant modulational instability and self-induced transmission effects in semiconductors: Maxwell-Bloch formalism

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates the nonlinear optical properties of semiconductors near excitonic resonance, revealing modulational instability and self-induced transmission effects, validated by comparison with existing theoretical and experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a macroscopic Maxwell-Bloch model based on the microscopic semiconductor Bloch equations to describe nonlinear optical phenomena in semiconductors near excitonic resonance.

Findings

Modulational instability of long light pulses with large gain.

Self-induced transmission of short light pulses in semiconductors.

Good agreement with existing theoretical and experimental results.

Abstract

The nonlinear optical properties of semiconductors near an excitonic resonance are theoretically investigated by using the macroscopic J-model [Th. Oestreich and A. Knorr, Phys. Rev. B 48, 17811 (1993); ibid. 50, 5717 (1994)] based on the microscopic semiconductor Bloch equations. These nonlinear properties cause modulational instability of long light pulses with large gain, and give rise to a self-induced transmission of short light pulses in a semiconductor. By an example of the latter well studied effect the validity of the used macroscopic model is demonstrated and a good agreement is found with both existing theoretical and experimental results.