Abstract

Multiple quantum well structures (MQWS) consisting of alternate thin layers of GaAs and GaAsAl are very attractive for nonlinear optical devices such as semiconductor lasers, optical bistability and phase conjugate devices. Unlike normal semiconductors, some of these MQWS show clear excitonic absorption peaks near optical absorption edges at room temperature, which makes them excellent candidates for practical nonlinear devices. The problem of calculating their optical properties is complicated because of the large number of layers involved. We show that the linear and nonlinear optical properties can be derived in a simple way. The key to this approach is the realization that the thickness of these layers is small (about 100 Å) since it should be less than the normal exciton diameter (typically 300 Å for GaAs).

© 1985 Optical Society of America