Abstract

The ready availability of sub-picosecond pulses from mode locked lasers has led to a large number of experiments being performed on the coherent interaction between light and extended electronic states in semiconductors and semiconductor heterostructures [1]. In tandem with these experimental efforts the theoretical understanding of these phenomena has also made significant strides [2]. However, one theoretical prediction which has not been directly experimentally observed is the phenomenon of Rabi-flopping in semiconductors [3]. Rabi-flopping is the oscillation of the excited state population induced by a strong light field. Here we present experimental results based on the nonlinear interaction of two copropagating pulses and show that in the theoretical treatment the observed behavior arises from the occurrence of a Rabi flop.

© 1994 Optical Society of America