Abstract
We propose a self-consistent many-body theory for coupling the ultrafast dipole-transition and carrier-plasma dynamics in a linear array of quantum wires with the scattering and absorption of ultrashort laser pulses. The quantum-wire non-thermal carrier occupations are further driven by an applied DC electric field along the wires in the presence of resistive forces from intrinsic phonon and Coulomb scattering of photo-excited carriers. The same strong DC field greatly modifies the non-equilibrium properties of the induced electron-hole plasma coupled to the propagating light pulse, while the induced longitudinal polarization fields of each wire significantly alters the nonlocal optical response from neighboring wires. Here, we clarify several fundamental physics issues in this laser-coupled quantum wire system, including laser pulse influence on local transient photo-currents, photoluminescence spectra, and the effect of nonlinear transport in a micro-scale system on laser pulse propagation. Meanwhile, we also anticipate some applications from this work, such as specifying the best combination of pulse sequence through a quantum-wire array to generate a desired THz spectrum and applying ultra-fast optical modulations to nonlinear carrier transport in nanowires.
Highlights
Several studies on strong light-matter interactions in semiconductors 1–3 were reported in the past three decades
We look for a specification of the best combination of pulse sequence through a quantum-wire array to generate a desired terahertz spectrum and a realization of ultra-fast optical control of nonlinear carrier transport in wires by laser pulses
The corresponding incident electric field is primarily polarized in the x-direction, and has a significant y-component in the 2D spatial simulations because of tight initial focusing and the light diffraction by a linear array of quantum wires embedded in a dielectric host
Summary
Several studies on strong light-matter interactions in semiconductors 1–3 were reported in the past three decades. We have established a unified quantum-kinetic model for both optical transitions and nonlinear transport of electrons within a single frame This unified quantum-kinetic theory is further coupled self-consistently to Maxwell’s equations for the field propagation so as to study strong interactions between an ultrafast light pulse and driven electrons within a linear array of quantum wires beyond the perturbation approach. In this work we want to focus on three fundamental issues for a pulsed-laser irradiated quantum wire system They are: variations in local transient photo-current and photoluminescence spectra by an incident laser pulse, changes in propagation of laser pulses by nonlinear photo-carrier transport in a micro-scale quantum-wire array, and optical reading of photon quantum memory (or electronic-excitation configurations) stored in a micro-scale quantum-wire array by a laser pulse.
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