Self-Induced Photon Absorption by Screening of the Electric Fields in Nitride-based Quantum Wells

Abstract

ABSTRACTWe have calculated the change of interband absorption spectra of a quantum well based on hexagonal group-III nitride semiconductors under photo-injection of high densities of electron-hole pairs. The screening of internal electric fields by such optical excitation is known to blue-shift and reinforce the ground-state optical transition. Due to the large values of densities of states and of internal fields, we predict novel properties that rather concern optical absorption via transitions between excited states. The absorption coefficient can be strongly enhanced by the optical excitation itself, in this particular spectral region, yielding the possibility for self-induced absorption properties. In other words, if sufficiently intense, an excitation laser can increase the absorption coefficient of the system at its own wavelength, thus providing a strong nonlinear optical response. Finally, we briefly discuss the potential application of these optical phenomena.