Abstract

The progress of laser sources with sub-picosecond pulse widths allows the preparation of coherent states in solid-state material and to study their dephasing in time domain. Of particular interest is the investigation of coherent phenomena in semiconductors and semiconductor heterostructures, revealing information on coherent electronic and vibronic states in these materials. Details on the generation and the dephasing of coherently excited phonons and electrons can be directly obtained in the time domain by pump-probe spectroscopy. Amplitude and phase of this motion can be simultaneously traced by electrooptic measuring techniques. Once the coherent state is prepared, it can be accurately controlled by further phase-sensitive excitation of the system.¹

© 1994 IEEE