Broadband mid-infrared supercontinuum generation in three-level multiple quantum wells using short optical pulses

Abstract

The paper presents a theoretical study of the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) facilitated mid-infrared supercontinuum generation using femtosecond optical pulses at low input power in multiple quantum well (MQW) nanostructures. The MQWs exhibit large nonlinearity, low dispersion and suppressed attenuation due to EIT. A multiple time scale method has been adopted to obtain modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation that governs the dynamics of the supercontinuum generation. Spectral broadening of about6.0μm is achievable at the end of a 1.38μm long MQW by injecting 50fs pulses of 200W peak power at 6.79μm wavelength. The spectrum is asymmetric, and attributed to the complex interplay of nonlinearity, group velocity dispersion and third-order dispersion. The result of the present investigation maybe useful in the fabrication of supercontinuum sources on integrated platforms with other semiconductor devices.