Publications

We present strong enhancement of third harmonic generation in an amorphous silicon metasurface consisting of elliptical nano resonators. We show that this enhancement originates from a new type of multi-mode Fano mechanism. These ‘Super-Fano’ resonances are investigated numerically in great detail using full-wave simulations. The theoretically predicted behavior of the metasurface is experimentally verified by linear and nonlinear transmission spectroscopy. Moreover, quantitative nonlinear measurements are performed, in which an absolute conversion efficiency as high as ηmax ≈ 2.8 × 10−7 a peak power intensity of 1.2 GW cm−2 is found. Compared to an unpatterned silicon film of the same thickness amplification factors of up to ~900 are demonstrated. Our results pave the way to exploiting a strong Fano-type multi-mode coupling in metasurfaces for high THG in potential applications.

High-contrast slab waveguide Bragg gratings with 1D periodicity are investigated. For specific oblique excitation by semi-guided waves at sufficiently high angles of incidence, the idealized structures do not exhibit any radiative losses, such that reflectance and transmittance for the single port mode add strictly up to one. We consider a series of symmetric, fully and partly etched finite gratings, for parameters found in integrated silicon photonics. These can act as spectral filters with a reasonably flattop response. Apodization can lead to more box shaped reflectance and transmittance spectra. Together with a narrowband Fabry–Perot filter, these configurations are characterized by reflection bands, or transmittance peaks, with widths that span three orders of magnitude.

Lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) has a great potential for photonic integrated circuits, providing substantial versatility in design of various integrated components. To properly use these components in the implementation of different quantum protocols, photons with different properties are required. In this paper, we theoretically demonstrate a flexible source of correlated photons built on the LNOI waveguide of a special geometry. This source is based on the parametric down-conversion (PDC) process, in which the signal and idler photons are generated at the telecom wavelength and have different spatial profiles and polarizations, but the same group velocities. Distinguishability in polarizations and spatial profiles facilitates the routing and manipulating individual photons, while the equality of their group velocities leads to the absence of temporal walk-off between photons. We show how the spectral properties of the generated photons and the number of their frequency modes can be controlled depending on the pump characteristics and the waveguide length. Finally, we discuss special regimes, in which narrowband light with strong frequency correlations and polarization-entangled Bell states are generated at the telecom wavelength.

Here we demonstrate a new, to the best of our knowledge, type of 3-dB coupler that has an ultra-broadband operational range from 1300 to 1600 nm with low fabrication sensitivity. The overall device size is 800 µm including in/out S-bend waveguides. The coupler is an asymmetric non-uniform directional coupler that consists of two tapered waveguides. One of the coupler arms is shifted by 100 µm in the propagation direction, which results in a more wavelength-insensitive 3-dB response compared to a standard (not shifted) coupler. Moreover, compared to a long adiabatic coupler, we achieved a similar wavelength response at a 16-times-smaller device length. The couplers were fabricated using the silicon nitride platform of Lionix International. We also experimentally demonstrated an optical switch that is made by using two of these couplers in a Mach–Zehnder interferometer configuration. According to experimental results, this optical switch exhibits –10 dB of extinction ratio over the 1500–1600 nm wavelength range. Our results indicate that this new type of coupler holds great promise for various applications, including optical imaging, telecommunications, and reconfigurable photonic processors where compact, fabrication-tolerant, and wavelength-insensitive couplers are essential.

We model negative polarization, which is observed for planetary regoliths at backscattering, solving a full wave problem of light scattering with a numerically exact Discontinuous Galerkin Time Domain (DGTD) method. Pieces of layers with the bulk packing density of particles close to 0.5 are used. The model particles are highly absorbing and have irregular shapes and sizes larger than the wavelength of light. This represents a realistic analog of low-albedo planetary regoliths. Our simulations confirm coherent backscattering mechanism of the origin of negative polarization. We show that angular profiles of polarization are stabilized if the number of particles in a layer piece becomes larger than ten. This allows application of our approach to the negative polarization modeling for planetary regoliths.

Highly directive antennas with the ability of shaping radiation patterns in desired directions are essential for efficient on-chip optical communication with reduced cross talk. In this paper, we design and optimize three distinct broadband traveling-wave tantalum pentoxide antennas exhibiting highly directional characteristics. Our antennas contain a director and reflector deposited on a glass substrate, which are excited by a dipole emitter placed in the feed gap between the two elements. Full-wave simulations in conjunction with global optimization provide structures with an enhanced linear directivity as high as 119 radiating in the substrate. The high directivity is a result of the interplay between two dominant TE modes and the leaky modes present in the antenna director. Furthermore, these low-loss dielectric antennas exhibit a near-unity radiation efficiency at the operational wavelength of 780 nm and maintain a broad bandwidth. Our numerical results are in good agreement with experimental measurements from the optimized antennas fabricated using a two-step electron-beam lithography, revealing the highly directive nature of our structures. We envision that our antenna designs can be conveniently adapted to other dielectric materials and prove instrumental for inter-chip optical communications and other on-chip applications.

We study a double-scattering coherent mechanism of negative polarization (NP) near opposition that is observed for powder-like surfaces. The problem is solved numerically for absorbing structures with irregular constituents, cubes, spheres, and ellipsoids larger than the wavelength of incident light. Our simulations show that double scattering between two random irregular particles shows weak NP. Adding one more particle significantly increases the relative contribution of double scattering which enhances NP. Simulations with regular shapes and controlled geometric parameters show that the interference mechanism is sensitive to the geometry of the scattering system and can also result in no polarization or even strong enhancement of positive polarization at backscattering.

Optical traveling wave antennas offer unique opportunities to control and selectively guide light into a specific direction, which renders them excellent candidates for optical communication and sensing. These applications require state-of-the-art engineering to reach optimized functionalities such as high directivity and radiation efficiency, low sidelobe levels, broadband and tunable capabilities, and compact design. In this work, we report on the numerical optimization of the directivity of optical traveling wave antennas made from low-loss dielectric materials using full-wave numerical simulations in conjunction with the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The antennas are composed of a reflector and a director deposited on a glass substrate, and an emitter placed in the feed gap between them serves as an internal source of excitation. In particular, we analyze antennas with rectangular- and horn-shaped directors made of either hafnium dioxide or silicon. The optimized antennas produce highly directional emissions due to the presence of two dominant guided TE modes in the director in addition to leaky modes. These guided modes dominate the far-field emission pattern and govern the direction of the main lobe emission, which predominately originates from the end facet of the director. Our work also provides a comprehensive analysis of the modes, radiation patterns, parametric influences, and bandwidths of the antennas, which highlights their robust nature.

Employing the ultrafast control of electronic states of a semiconductor quantum dot in a cavity, we introduce an approach to achieve on-demand emission of single photons with almost perfect indistinguishability and photon pairs with near ideal entanglement. Our scheme is based on optical excitation off resonant to a cavity mode followed by ultrafast control of the electronic states using the time-dependent quantum-confined Stark effect, which then allows for cavity-resonant emission. Our theoretical analysis considers cavity-loss mechanisms, the Stark effect, and phonon-induced dephasing, allowing realistic predictions for finite temperatures.

In our work, we have engineered low capacitance single quantum dot photodiodes as sensor devices for the optoelectronic sampling of ultrafast electric signals. By the Stark effect, a time-dependent electric signal is converted into a time-dependent shift of the transition energy. This shift is measured accurately by resonant ps laser spectroscopy with photocurrent detection. In our experiments, we sample the laser synchronous output pulse of an ultrafast CMOS circuit with high resolution. With our quantum dot sensor device, we were able to sample transients below 20 ps with a voltage resolution in the mV-range.

We show that narrow trenches in a high-contrast silicon-photonics slab can act as lossless power dividers for semi-guided waves. Reflectance and transmittance can be easily configured by selecting the trench width. At sufficiently high angles of incidence, the devices are lossless, apart from material attenuation and scattering due to surface roughness. We numerically simulate a series of devices within the full 0-to-1-range of splitting ratios, for semi-guided plane wave incidence as well as for excitation by focused Gaussian wave bundles. Straightforward cascading of the trenches leads to concepts for 1×M-power dividers and a polarization beam splitter.

We demonstrate the integration of amorphous tungsten silicide superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors on titanium in-diffused lithium niobate waveguides. We show proof-of-principle detection of evanescently coupled photons of 1550 nm wavelength using bidirectional waveguide coupling for two orthogonal polarization directions. We investigate the internal detection efficiency as well as detector absorption using coupling-independent characterization measurements. Furthermore, we describe strategies to improve the yield and efficiency of these devices.

Gaussian-beam-like bundles of semi-guided waves propagating in a dielectric slab can excite modes with high-order optical angular momentum supported by a circular fiber. We consider a multimode step-index fiber with a high-index coating, where the waves in the slab are evanescently coupled to the modes of the fiber. Conditions for effective resonant interaction are identified. Based on a hybrid analytical–numerical coupled mode model, our simulations predict that substantial fractions of the input power can be focused into waves with specific orbital angular momentum, of excellent purity, with a clear distinction between degenerate modes with opposite vorticity.

We present a combined experimental and numerical study of the far-field emission properties of optical travelling wave antennas made from low-loss dielectric materials. The antennas considered here are composed of two simple building blocks, a director and a reflector, deposited on a glass substrate. Colloidal quantum dots placed in the feed gap between the two elements serve as internal light source. The emission profile of the antenna is mainly formed by the director while the reflector suppresses backward emission. Systematic studies of the director dimensions as well as variation of antenna material show that the effective refractive index of the director primarily governs the far-field emission pattern. Below cut off, i.e., if the director’s effective refractive index is smaller than the refractive index of the substrate, the main lobe results from leaky wave emission along the director. In contrast, if the director supports a guided mode, the emission predominately originates from the end facet of the director.

A stepwise angular spectrum method (SASM) for curved interfaces is presented to calculate the wave propagation in planar lens-like integrated optical structures based on photonic slab waveguides. The method is derived and illustrated for an effective 2D setup first and then for 3D slab waveguide lenses. We employ slab waveguides of different thicknesses connected by curved surfaces to realize a lens-like structure. To simulate the wave propagation in 3D including reflection and scattering losses, the stepwise angular spectrum method is combined with full vectorial finite element computations for subproblems with lower complexity. Our SASM results show excellent agreement with rigorous numerical simulations of the full structures with a substantially lower computational effort and can be utilized for the simulation-based design and optimization of complex and large scale setups.

The challenge of designing new tunable nonlinear dielectric materials with tailored properties has attracted an increasing amount of interest recently. Herein, we study the effective nonlinear dielectric response of a stochastic paraelectric-dielectric composite consisting of equilibrium distributions of circular and partially penetrable disks (or parallel, infinitely long, identical, partially penetrable, circular cylinders) of a dielectric phase randomly dispersed in a continuous matrix of a paraelectric phase. The random microstructures were generated using the Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm. The evaluation of the effective permittivity and tunability were carried out by employing either a Landau thermodynamic model or its Johnson’s approximation to describe the field-dependent permittivity of the paraelectric phase and solving continuum-electrostatics equations using finite element calculations. We reveal that the percolation threshold in this composite governs the critical behavior of the effective permittivity and tunability. For microstructures below the percolation threshold, our simulations demonstrate a strong nonlinear behaviour of the field-dependent effective permittivity and very high tunability that increases as a function of dielectric phase concentration. Above the percolation threshold, the effective permittivity shows the tendency to linearization and the tunability dramatically drops down. The highly reduced permittivity and extraordinarily high tunability are obtained for the composites with dielectric impenetrable disks at high concentrations, in which the triggering of the percolation transition is avoided. The reported results cast light on distinct nonlinear behaviour of 2D and 3D stochastic composites and can guide the design of novel composites with the controlled morphology and tailored permittivity and tunability.

A dielectric step-index optical fiber with tube-like profile is considered, being positioned with a small gap on top of a dielectric slab waveguide. We propose a 2.5-D hybrid analytical/numerical coupled mode model for the evanescent excitation of the tube through semi-guided waves propagating in the slab at oblique angles. The model combines the directional polarized modes supported by the slab with analytic solutions for the TE-, TM-, and orbital-angular-momentum (OAM) modes of the tube-shaped fiber. Implementational details of the scheme are discussed, complemented by finite-element simulations for verification purposes. Our results include configurations with resonant in-fiber excitation of OAM modes with large orbital angular momentum and strong field enhancement.

We numerically simulate multiple light scattering in discrete disordered media represented by large clusters of irregular non-absorbing particles. The packing density of clusters is 0.5. With such conditions diffuse scattering is significantly reduced and light transport follows propagation channels that are determined by the particle size and topology of the medium. This kind of localization produces coherent backscattering intensity surge and enhanced negative polarization branch if compared to lower density samples.

A rectangular dielectric strip at some distance above an optical slab waveguide is being considered, for evanescent excitation of the strip through the semi-guided waves supported by the slab, at specific oblique angles. The 2.5-D configuration shows resonant transmission properties with respect to variations of the angle of incidence, or of the excitation frequency, respectively. The strength of the interaction can be controlled by the gap between strip and slab. For increasing distance, our simulations predict resonant states with unit extremal reflectance of an angular or spectral width that tends to zero, i.e. resonances with a Q-factor that tends to infinity, while the resonance position approaches the level of the guided mode of the strip. This exceptionally simple system realizes what might be termed a “bound state coupled to the continuum”.

We consider light scattering from a new type of model particle whose shape is represented in the form of a generalized ellipsoid having N foci, where N is greater than two. Such particles can be convex as well as concave. We use the geometrical optics approximation to study the light scattering from 3-foci particles. Non-zero elements of the scattering matrix are calculated for ensembles of randomly oriented independent transparent particles, m = n + i0. Several internal reflection orders are considered separately. It was found that the transmission-transmission (TT) and transmission-reflectance-transmission (TRT) components dominate in the formation of intensity of scattered light at large and small phase angles, respectively. We found a significant role of the total internal reflections of the TRT in the middle portion of the phase angle range. The main factors in the formation of positive linear polarization are the R and TRT component. The TT component is responsible for the formation of negative polarization branch at large phase angles.

We investigate optical microresonators consisting of either one or two coupled rectangular strips between upper and lower slab waveguides. The cavities are evanescently excited under oblique angles by thin-film guided, in-plane unguided waves supported by one of the slab waveguides. Beyond a specific incidence angle, losses are fully suppressed. The interaction between the guided mode of the cavity-strip and the incoming slab modes leads to resonant behavior for specific incidence angles and gaps. For a single cavity, at resonance, the input power is equally split among each of the four output ports, while for two cavities an add-drop filter can be realized that, at resonance, routes the incoming power completely to the forward drop waveguide via the cavity. For both applications, the strength of the interaction is controlled by the gaps between cavities and waveguides.

We report on the coherent phase manipulation of quantum dot excitons by electric means. For our experiments, we use a low capacitance single quantum dot photodiode which is electrically controlled by a custom designed SiGe:C BiCMOS chip. The phase manipulation is performed and quantified in a Ramsey experiment, where ultrafast transient detuning of the exciton energy is performed synchronous to double pulse p/2 ps laser excitation. We are able to demonstrate electrically controlled phase manipulations with magnitudes up to 3p within 100 ps which is below the dephasing time of the quantum dot exciton.

Polarization of light is essential for some living organisms and many optical applications. Here, an orientation dependent polarization conversion effect is reported for light reflected from diamond‐structure‐based photonic crystals (D‐structure) inside the scales of a beetle, the weevil Entimus imperialis. When linearly polarized light propagates along its 〈100〉 directions, the D‐structure behaves analogous to a half‐wave plate in reflection but based on a different mechanism. The D‐structure rotates the polarization direction of linearly polarized light, and reflects circularly polarized light of both handednesses without changing it. This polarization effect is different from circular dichroism occurring in chiral biological photonic structures discovered before. The structural origin of this effect is symmetry breaking inside D‐structure's unit cell. This finding demonstrates that natural photonic structures can exploit multiple functionalities inherent to the design principles of their structural organization. Aiming at transferring the inherent polarization effect of the biological D‐structure to technically realizable materials, three simplified biomimetic structural models are derived and it is theoretically demonstrated that they retain the effect. Out of these structures, functioning woodpile structure prototypes are fabricated.

We study the dependence of the intensity and linear polarization of light scattered by isolated particles with the compact irregular shape on their size using the discontinuous Galerkin time domain numerical method. The size parameter of particles varies in the range of X = 10 to 150, and the complex refractive index is m = 1.5 + 0i. Our results show that the backscattering negative polarization branch weakens monotonously, but does not disappear at large sizes, up to the geometrical optics regime, and can be simulated without accounting for wave effects. The intensity backscattering surge becomes narrower with increasing particle size. For X = 150, the surge width is several degrees.

Metal nanoparticles host localized plasmon excitations that allow the manipulation of optical fields at the nanoscale. Despite the availability of several techniques for imaging plasmons, direct access into the symmetries of these excitations remains elusive, thus hindering progress in the development of applications. Here, we present a combination of angle-, polarization-, and space-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy methods to selectively access the symmetry and degeneracy of plasmonic states in lithographically fabricated gold nanoprisms. We experimentally reveal and spatially map degenerate states of multipole plasmon modes with nanometer spatial resolution and further provide recipes for resolving optically dark and out-of-plane modes. Full-wave simulations in conjunction with a simple tight-binding model explain the complex plasmon structure in these particles and reveal intriguing mode-symmetry phenomena. Our approach introduces systematics for a comprehensive symmetry characterization of plasmonic states in high-symmetry nanostructures.

Oblique propagation of semi-guided waves across slab waveguide structures with bent corners is investigated. A critical angle can be defined beyond which all radiation losses are suppressed. Additionally an increase of the curvature radius of the bends also leads to low-loss configurations for incidence angles below that critical angle. A combination of two bent corner systems represents a step-like structure, behaving like a Fabry-Perot interferometer, with two partial reflectors separated by the vertical height between the horizontal slabs. We numerically analyse typical high-index-contrast Si/SiO2 structures for their reflectance and transmittance properties. When increasing the curvature radius the resonant effect becomes less relevant such that full transmittance is reached with less critical conditions on the vertical distance or the incidence angle. For practical interest 3-D problems are considered, where the structures are excited by the fundamental mode of a wide, shallow rib waveguide. High transmittance levels can be observed also for these 3-D configurations depending on the width of the rib.

Controlling light emission out of subwavelength nanoslit/aperture structures is of great important for highly integrated photonic circuits. Here we propose a new method to achieve direction-tunable emission based on a compact metallic microcavity with double nanoslit. Our method combines the principles of Young’s interference and surface plasmon polaritons interference. We show that the direction of the far-field beam can be controlled over a wide range of angles by manipulating the frequency and relative phase of light arriving at the two slits, which holds promise for applications in the ultracompact optoelectronic devices.

The modal properties of curved dielectric slab waveguides are investigated. We consider quasi-confined, attenuated modes that propagate at oblique angles with respect to the axis through the center of curvature. Our analytical model describes the transition from scalar 2-D TE/TM bend modes to lossless spiral waves at near-axis propagation angles, with a continuum of vectorial attenuated spiral modes in between. Modal solutions are characterized in terms of directional wavenumbers and attenuation constants. Examples for vectorial mode profiles illustrate the effects of oblique wave propagation along the curved slab segments. For the regime of lossless spiral waves, the relation with the guided modes of corresponding dielectric tubes is demonstrated.

The 3D implementation of a hybrid analytical/numerical variant of the coupled-mode theory is discussed. Eigenmodes of the constituting dielectric channels are computed numerically. The frequency-domain coupled-mode models then combine these into fully vectorial approximations for the optical electromagnetic fields of the composite structure. Following a discretization of amplitude functions by 1D finite elements, pro- cedures from the realm of finite-element numerics are applied to establish systems of linear equations for the then- discrete modal amplitudes. Examples substantiate the functioning of the technique and allow for some numerical assessment. The full 3D simulations are highly efficient in memory consumption, moderately demanding in com- putational time, and, in regimes of low radiative losses, sufficiently accurate for practical design. Our results include the perturbation of guided modes by changes of the refractive indices, the interaction of waves in parallel, horizontally or vertically coupled straight waveguides, and a series of crossings of potentially overlapping channels with fairly arbitrary relative positions and orientations.

We numerically simulate the circular polarization ratio of the radar signal backscattered from a large-grain cometary coma and compare the simulation results with the radar measurements for seven comets. We apply the discrete dipole approximation method and a model of random irregular particles. Our results confirm water ice composition of the cm-sized chunks detected by the NASA Deep Impact space probe in the vicinity of the nucleus of Comet 103P/Hartley 2. The index of the power-law size distribution in this case can be constrained to the range n ≈ 3.3–4.3. For the other considered comets the circular polarization ratio can be reproduced with variations of the power index between 2 and 5.

We successfully developed a process to fabricate freestanding cubic aluminium nitride (c-AlN) membranes containing cubic gallium nitride (c-GaN) quantum dots (QDs). The samples were grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). To realize the photonic crystal (PhC) membrane we have chosen a triangular array of holes. The array was fabricated by electron beam lithography and several steps of reactive ion etching (RIE) with the help of a hard mask and an undercut of the active layer. The r/a- ratio of 0.35 was deter- mined by numerical simulations to obtain a preferably wide photonic band gap. Micro-photoluminescence (μ-PL) measurements of the photonic crystals, in particular of a H1 and a L3 cavity, and the emission of the QD ensemble were performed to characterize the samples. The PhCs show high quality factors of 4400 for the H1 cavity and about 5000/3000 for two different modes of the L3 cavity, respectively. The energy of the fundamental modes is in good agreement to the numerical simulations.

e study the discrete soliton formation in one- and two- dimensional arrays of nanowires coated with graphene monolayers. Highly confined solitons, including the fundamental and the higher-order modes, are found to be supported by the proposed structure with a low level of power flow. Numerical analysis reveals that, by tuning the input intensity and Fermi energy, the beam diffraction, soliton dimension and propagation loss can be fully controlled in a broad range, indicating potential values of the graphene-based solitons in nonlinear/active nanophotonic systems.

We report on second harmonic generation spectroscopy on a series of rectangular arrays of split-ring resonators. Within the sample series, the lattice constants are varied, but the area of the unit cell is kept fixed. The SHG signal intensity of the different arrays upon resonant excitation of the fundamental plasmonic mode strongly depends on the respective arrangement of the split-ring resonators. This finding can be explained by variations of the electromagnetic interactions between the split-ring resonators in the different arrays. The experimental results are in agreement with numerical calculations based on the discontinuous Galerkin time-domain method. (PDF) The role of electromagnetic interactions.... Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297612326_The_role_of_electromagnetic_interactions_in_second_harmonic_generation_from_plasmonic_metamaterials [accessed Aug 13 2018].

The physical optics approximations are derived from the Maxwell equations. The scattered field equations by Kirchhoff, Stratton-Chu, Kottler and Franz are compared and discussed. It is shown that in the case of faceted particles, these equations reduce to a sum of the diffraction integrals, where every diffraction integral is associated with one plane–parallel optical beam leaving a particle facet. In the far zone, these diffraction integrals correspond to the Fraunhofer diffraction patterns. The paper discusses the E-, M- and (E, M)-diffraction theories as applied to ice crystals of cirrus clouds. The comparison to the exact solution obtained by the discontinuous Galerkin time domain method shows that the Kirchhoff diffraction theory is preferable.

We present phase sensitive cavity field measurements on photonic crystal microcavities. The experiments have been performed as autocorrelation measurements with ps double pulse laser excitation for resonant and detuned conditions. Measured E-field autocorrelation functions reveal a very strong detuning dependence of the phase shift between laser and cavity field and of the autocorrelation amplitude of the cavity field. The fully resolved phase information allows for a precise frequency discrimination and hence for a precise measurement of the detuning between laser and cavity. The behavior of the autocorrelation amplitude and phase and their detuning dependence can be fully described by an analytic model. Furthermore, coherent control of the cavity field is demonstrated by tailored laser excitation with phase and amplitude controlled pulses. The experimental proof and verification of the above described phenomena became possible by an electric detection scheme, which employs planar photonic crystal microcavity photo diodes with metallic Schottky contacts in the defect region of the resonator. The applied photo current detection was shown to work also efficiently at room temperature, which make electrically contacted microcavities attractive for real world applications.

We simulate light scattering by random irregular particles that have dimensions much larger than the wavelength of incident light at the size parameter of 𝑋=200 using the discontinuous Galerkin time domain method. A comparison of the DGTD solution for smoothly faceted particles with that obtained with a geometric optics model shows good agreement for the scattering angle curves of intensity and polarization. If a wavelength-scale surface roughness is introduced, diffuse scattering at rough interface results in smooth and featureless curves for all scattering matrix elements which is consistent with the laboratory measurements of real samples.

The problem of light scattering by ice crystals of cirrus clouds is considered in the case of a hexagonal ice plate with different distributions over crystal orientations. The physical-optics approximation based on (E, M)-diffraction theory is compared with two exact numerical methods: the finite difference time domain (FDTD) and the discontinuous Galerkin time domain (DGTD) in order to estimate its accuracy and limits of applicability. It is shown that the accuracy of the physical-optics approximation is estimated as 95% for the averaged backscattering Mueller matrix for particles with size parameter more than 120. Furthermore, the simple expression that allows one to estimate the minimal number of particle orientations required for appropriate spatial averaging has been derived.

We investigate the interplay between geometrical lattice resonances and surface plasmons mediating the emission of Smith-Purcell visible light via angle-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. We observe strong modulations in the dispersion curves of Smith-Purcell radiation (SPR) when they intersect the surface plasmons of silver gratings using a 200-kV transmission electron microscope. The decay of the plasmons away from the grating is directly probed by controlling the electron-beam position relative to the sample surface with nanometer precision. Our measurements are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations, clearly revealing the presence of characteristic Fano profiles resulting from the interference of the light continuum and the discrete plasmon states for each direction of emission. The intensity anomaly in the SPR emission pattern can be well explained from the geometrical consideration of the intersections between the dispersion planes of the SPR and surface plasmon polariton (SPP). A strong and directional SPR beam can be realized under the condition that the SPR dispersion plane comes in contact with the band edge of the SPP dispersion plane.

The coherent state preparation and control of single quantum systems is an important prerequisite for the implementation of functional quantum devices. Prominent examples for such systems are semiconductor quantum dots, which exhibit a fine structure split single exciton state and a V-type three level structure, given by a common ground state and two distinguishable and separately excitable transitions. In this work we introduce a novel concept for the preparation of a robust inversion by the sequential excitation in a V-type system via distinguishable paths.

We study the formation of subwavelength solitons in binary metal-dielectric lattices. We show that the transverse modulation of the lattice constant breaks the fundamental plasmonic band and suppresses the discrete diffraction of surface plasmon waves. New types of plasmonic solitons are found, and their characteristics are analyzed. We also demonstrate the existence of photonic-plasmonic vector solitons and elucidate their propagation properties.

We show how to optically connect guiding layers at different elevations in a 3-D integrated photonic circuit. Transfer of optical power carried by planar, semi-guided waves is possible without reflections or radiation losses, and over large vertical distances. This functionality is realized through simple step-like folds of high-contrast dielectric slab waveguides, in combination with oblique wave incidence, and fulfilling a resonance condition. Radiation losses vanish, and polarization conversion is suppressed for TE wave incidence beyond certain critical angles. This can be understood by fundamental arguments resting on a version of Snell’s law. The two 90° corners of a step act as identical partial reflectors in a Fabry–Perot-like resonator setup. By selecting the step height, i.e., the distance between the reflectors, one realizes resonant states with full transmission. Rigorous quasi-analytical simulations for typical silicon/silica parameters demonstrate the functioning. Combinations of several step junctions can lead to other types of optical on-chip connects, e.g., U-turn- or bridge-like configurations.

Plasmon modes of the exact same individual gold nanoprisms are investigated through combined nanometer-resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements. We show that CL only probes the radiative modes, in contrast to EELS, which additionally reveals dark modes. The combination of both techniques on the same particles thus provides complementary information and also demonstrates that although the radiative modes give rise to very similar spatial distributions when probed by EELS or CL, their resonant energies appear to be different. We trace this phenomenon back to plasmon dissipation, which affects in different ways the plasmon signatures probed by these techniques. Our experiments are in agreement with electromagnetic numerical simulations and can be further interpreted within the framework of a quasistatic analytical model. We therefore demonstrate that CL and EELS are closely related to optical scattering and extinction, respectively, with the addition of nanometer spatial resolution.

The device principle of a prism-based on-chip spectrometer for TE polarization is introduced. The spectrometer exploits the modal dispersion in planar waveguides in a layout with slab regions having two different thicknesses of the guiding layer. The set-up uses parabolic mirrors, for the collimation of light of the input waveguide and focusing of the light to the receiver waveguides, which relies on total internal reflection at the interface between two such regions. These regions are connected adiabatically to prevent unwanted mode conversion and loss at the edges of the prism. The structure can be fabricated with two wet etching steps. The paper presents basic theory and a general approach for device optimization. The latter is illustrated with a numerical example assuming SiON technology.

Sheets of slab waveguides with sharp corners are investigated. By means of rigorous numerical experiments, we look at oblique incidence of semi-guided plane waves. Radiation losses vanish beyond a certain critical angle of incidence. One can thus realize lossless propagation through 90-degree corner configurations, where the remaining guided waves are still subject to pronounced reflection and polarization conversion. A system of two corners can be viewed as a structure akin to a Fabry-Perot-interferometer. By adjusting the distance between the two partial reflectors, here the 90-degree corners, one identifies step-like configurations that transmit the semi-guided plane waves without radiation losses, and virtually without reflections. Simulations of semi-guided beams with in-plane wide Gaussian profiles show that the effect survives in a true 3-D framework.

The relevance of our definition for sensitivity in refractometric sensing, being the relative change in the transmittance of a certain output channel of an optical device over the change in the refractive index of the probed material, is discussed. It is compared to one based on spectral shift per refractive index unit change. Further, there is discussion on how group delay and sensitivity are interrelated and can be converted into each other and which physical quantities are relevant for high sensitivity. As a by-product of the theory presented, a general expression relating group delay and the ratio of the time-averaged optical energy and the input power is presented.

The incidenceofthin-film-guided, in-planeunguidedwavesatobliqueanglesonstraightdiscontinuities of dielectricslabwaveguides,anearlyproblemofintegratedoptics,isbeingre-considered.The3-D frequencydomainMaxwellequationsreducetoaparametrizedinhomogeneousvectorialproblemona 2-D computationaldomain,withtransparent-influx boundaryconditions.Weproposearigorousvec- torial solverbasedonsimultaneousexpansionsintopolarizedlocalslabeigenmodesalongthetwo orthogonal crosssectioncoordinates(quadridirectionaleigenmodepropagationQUEP).Thequasi-ana- lytical schemeisapplicabletoconfigurations with — in principle — arbitrary crosssectiongeometries. Examples forahigh-contrastfacetofanasymmetricslabwaveguide,forthelateralexcitationofa channel waveguide,andforastepdiscontinuitybetweenslabwaveguidesofdifferentthicknessesare discussed.

Whispering gallery modes (WGMs) were observed in 60 nm thin cubic AlN microdisk resonators containing a single layer of non-polar cubic GaN quantum dots. Freestanding microdisks were patterned by means of electron beam lithography and a two step reactive ion etching process. Micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy investigations were performed for optical characterization. We analyzed the mode spacing for disk diameters ranging from 2-4 lm. Numerical investigations using three dimensional finite difference time domain calculations were in good agreement with the experimental data. Whispering gallery modes of the radial orders 1 and 2 were identified by means of simulated mode field distributions.

Microresonators containing quantum dots find application in devices like single photon emitters for quantum information technology as well as low threshold laser devices. We demonstrate the fabrication of 60 nm thin zinc-blende AlN microdisks including cubic GaN quantum dots using dry chemical etching techniques. Scanning electron microscopy analysis reveals the morphology with smooth surfaces of the microdisks. Micro-photoluminescence measurements exhibit optically active quantum dots. Furthermore this is the first report of resonator modes in the emission spectrum of a cubic AlN microdisk.

Optical experiments on second-harmonic generation from split-ring-resonator square arrays show a nonmonotonic dependence of the conversion efficiency on the lattice constant. This finding is interpreted in terms of a competition between dilution effects and linewidth or near-field changes due to interactions among the individual elements in the array.

Using a finite-difference time-domain method, we theoretically investigate the optical spectra of crossing perpendicular photonic crystal waveguides with quantum dots embedded in the central rod. The waveguides are designed so that the light mainly propagates along one direction and the cross talk is greatly reduced in the transverse direction. It is shown that when a quantum dot (QD) is resonant with the cavity, strong coupling can be observed via both the transmission and crosstalk spectrum. If the cavity is far off-resonant from the QD, both the cavity mode and the QD signal can be detected in the transverse direction since the laser field is greatly suppressed in this direction. This structure could have strong implications for resonant excitation and in-plane detection of QD optical spectroscopy.

We study the quantum properties and statistics of photons emitted by a quantum-dot biexciton inside a cavity. In the biexciton-exciton cascade, fine-structure splitting between exciton levels degrades polarization-entanglement for the emitted pair of photons. However, here we show that the polarization-entanglement can be preserved in such a system through simultaneous emission of two degenerate photons into cavity modes tuned to half the biexciton energy. Based on detailed theoretical calculations for realistic quantum-dot and cavity parameters, we quantify the degree of achievable entanglement.

We demonstrate by spin quantum beat spectroscopy that in undoped symmetric (110)-oriented GaAs/AlGaAs single quantum wells, even a symmetric spatial envelope wave function gives rise to an asymmetric in-plane electron Land´e g-factor. The anisotropy is neither a direct consequence of the asymmetric in-plane Dresselhaus splitting nor a direct consequence of the asymmetric Zeeman splitting of the hole bands, but rather it is a pure higher-order effect that exists as well for diamond-type lattices. The measurements for various well widths are very well described within 14 × 14 band k·p theory and illustrate that the electron spin is an excellent meter variable for mapping out the internal—otherwise hidden—symmetries in two-dimensional systems. Fourth-order perturbation theory yields an analytical expression for the strength of the g-factor anisotropy, providing a qualitative understanding of the observed effects.

We present a nonequilibrium ab initio method for calculating nonlinear and nonlocal optical effects in metallic slabs with a thickness of several nanometers. The numerical analysis is based on the full solution of the time‐dependent Kohn–Sham equations for a jellium system and allows to study the optical response of metal electrons subject to arbitrarily shaped intense light pulses. We find a strong localization of the generated second‐harmonic current in the surface regions of the slabs.

The intensity dependence of optically-induced injection currents in unbiased GaAs semiconductor quantum wells grown in [110] direction is investigated theoretically for a number of well widths. Our microscopic analysis is based on a 14 x 14 band k . p method in combination with the multisubband semiconductor Bloch equations. An oscillatory dependence of the injection current transients as function of intensity and time is predicted and explained. It is demonstrated that optical excitations involving different subbands and Rabi flopping are responsible for this complex dynamics.

We numerically investigate the coupling between circular resonators and study strong light‐matter coupling of single as well as multiple circular resonators to quantum‐mechanical resonators in two dimensional model simulations. For all cases, the computed resonances of the coupled system as function of the detuning show anti‐crossings. The obtained mode splittings of coupled optical resonators are strongly depending on distance and cluster in almost degenerate eigenstates for large distances, as is known from coupled resonator optical waveguides. Vacuum Rabi splitting is observed for a quantum dot strongly coupled to eigenmodes of single perfectly cylindrical resonators.

The injection of photocurrents by femtosecond laser pulses in (110)-orientedGaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The roomtemperature measurements show an oscillatory dependence of the injection current amplitude and direction on the excitation photon energy. Microscopic calculations using the semiconductor Bloch equations that are set up on the basis of k.p band structure calculations provide a detailed understanding of the experimental findings.

A simulation environment for metallic nanostructures based on the Discontinuous Galerkin Time Domain method is presented. The model is used to compute the linear and nonlinear optical response of split ring resonators and to study physical mechanisms that contribute to second harmonic generation.

We numerically investigate the interaction dynamics of coupled cavities in planar photonic crystal slabs in different configurations. The single cavity is optimized for a long lifetime of the fundamental mode, reaching a Q-factor of ≈43, 000 using the method of gentle confinement. For pairs of cavities we consider several configurations and present a setup with strongest coupling observable as a line splitting of about 30 nm. Based on this configuration, setups with three cavities are investigated.

We study the influence of the phonon environment on the electron dynamics in a doped quantum dot molecule. A non-perturbative quantumkinetic theory based on correlation expansion is used in order to describe both diagonal and off-diagonal electron-phonon couplings representing real and virtual processes with relevant acoustic phonons. We show that the relaxation is dominated by phononassisted electron tunneling between constituent quantum dots and occurs on a picosecond time scale. The dependence of the time evolution of the quantum dot occupation probabilities on the energy mismatch between the quantum dots is studied in detail.

The dynamics of charge and spin injection currents excited by circularly polarized, one-color laser beams in semiconductor quantum wells is analyzed. Our microscopic approach is based on a 14x14 k · p band-structure theory in combination with multisubband semiconductor Bloch equations which allows a detailed analysis of the photogenerated carrier distributions and coherences in k space. Charge and spin injection currents are numerically calculated for [110]- and [001]-grown GaAs quantum wells including dc population contributions and ac contributions that arise from intersubband coherences. The dependencies of the injection currents on the excitation conditions, in particular, the photon energy are computed and discussed.

Microdisks made from GaAs with embedded InAs quantum dots are immersed in the liquid crystal 4-cyano-4’-pentylbiphenyl (5CB). The quantum dots serve as emitters feeding the optical modes of the photonic cavity. By changing temperature, the liquid crystal undergoes a phase transition from the isotropic to the nematic state, which can be used as an effective tuning mechanism of the photonic modes of the cavity. In the nematic state, the uniaxial electrical anisotropy of the liquid crystal molecules can be exploited for orienting the material in an electric field, thus externally controlling the birefringence of the material. Using this effect, an electric field induced tuning of the modes is achieved. Numerical simulations using the finite-differences time-domain (FDTD) technique employing an anisotropic dielectric medium allow to understand the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules on the surface of the microdisk resonator.

It is demonstrated that valence-band mixing in GaAs quantum wells tremendously modifies electronic transport. A coherent control scheme in which ultrafast currents are optically injected into undoped GaAs quantum wells upon excitation with femtosecond laser pulses is employed. An oscillatory dependence of the injection current amplitude and direction on the excitation photon energy is observed. A microscopic theoretical analysis shows that this current reversal is caused by the coupling of the light- and heavy-hole bands and that the hole currents dominate the overall current response. These surprising consequences of band mixing illuminate fundamental physics as they are unique for experiments which are able to monitor electronic transport resulting from carriers with relatively large momenta.

GaAs-based semiconductor microdisks with high quality whispering gallery modes (Q44000) have been fabricated.A layer of self-organized InAs quantumdots (QDs) served as a light source to feed the optical modes at room temperature. In order to achieve frequency tuning of the optical modes, the microdisk devices have been immersed in 4 – cyano – 4´-pentylbiphenyl (5CB), a liquid crystal(LC) with a nematic phase below the clearing temperature of TC≈34°C .We have studied the device performance in the temperature rangeof T=20-50°C, in order to investigate the influence of the nematic–isotropic phase transition on the optical modes. Moreover,we havea pplied an AC electric field to the device,which leads in the nematic phase to a reorientation of the anisotropic dielectric tensor of the liquid crystal.This electrical anisotropy can be used to achieve electrical tunability of the optical modes.Using the finite-difference time domain (FDTD) technique with an anisotropic material model, we are able to describe the influence of the liquid crystal qualitatively.

Excitonic spectra of weakly disordered semiconductor heterostructures are simulated on the basis of a one-dimensional tight-binding model. The influence of the length scale of weak disorder in quantum wells on the redshift of the excitonic peak and its linewidth is studied. By calculating two-dimensional Fouriertransform spectra we are able to determine the contribution of disorder to inhomogeneous and also to homogeneous broadenings separately. This disorder-induced dephasing is related to a Fano-type coupling and leads to contributions to the homogeneous linewidth that depends on energy within the inhomogeneously broadened line. The model includes heavy- and light-hole excitons and yields smaller inhomogeneous broadening for the light-hole exciton if compared to the heavy-hole exciton, which agrees qualitatively with the experiment.

We numerically investigate the behavior of Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs) in circularly shaped resonators like microdisks, with diameters in the range of optical vacuum wavelengths. The microdisk is embedded in an uniaxial anisotropic dielectric environment. By changing the optical anisotropy, one obtains spectral tunability of the optical modes. The degree of tunability strongly depends on the radial (azimuthal) mode order M (N). As the modes approach each other spectrally, anticrossing is observed, leading to a rearrangement of the optical states.

A quantum dot molecule doped with a single electron in the presence of diagonal and off-diagonal carrierphonon couplings is studied by means of a nonperturbative quantum kinetic theory. The interaction with acoustic phonons by deformation potential and piezoelectric coupling is taken into account. We show that the phonon-mediated relaxation is fast on a picosecond time scale and is dominated by the usually neglected off-diagonal coupling to the lattice degrees of freedom leading to phonon-assisted electron tunneling. We show that in the parameter regime of current electrical and optical experiments, the microscopic non-Markovian theory has to be employed.

We study a single quantum dot molecule doped with one electron in the presence of electron-phonon coupling. Both diagonal and off-diagonal interactions representing real and virtual processes with acoustic phonons via deformation potential and piezoelectric coupling are taken into account. We employ a non-perturbative quantum kinetic theory and show that the phonon-mediated relaxation is dominated by an electron tunneling on a picosecond time scale.A dependence of the relaxation on the temperature and the strength of the tunneling coupling is analyzed.

We demonstrate that an optically driven spin of a carrier in a quantum dot undergoes indirect dephasing via conditional optically induced charge evolution even in the absence of any direct interaction between the spin and its environment. A generic model for the indirect dephasing with a three-component system with spin, charge, and reservoir is proposed. This indirect decoherence channel is studied for the optical spin manipulation in a quantum dot with a microscopic description of the charge-phonon interaction taking into account its non-Markovian nature.

Phonon-assisted singlet-singlet relaxation in semiconductor quantum dot molecules is studied theoretically. Laterally coupled quantum dot structures doped with two electrons are considered. We take into account interaction with acoustic phonon modes via deformation potential and piezoelectric coupling. We show that piezoelectric mechanism for the considered system is of great importance and for some ranges of quantum dot molecule parameters is the dominant contribution to relaxation. It is shown that the phonon-assisted tunneling is much faster (down to ∼ 6 ps even at zero temperature) in comparison with other decoherence processes. The influence of Coulomb interaction is discussed and its consequences are indicated. We calculate the relaxation rates for GaAs quantum dot molecules and study the dependence on quantum dot size, distance and offset between the constituent quantum dots. In addition the temperature dependence of the tunneling rates is analyzed.

We present phase-resolved pulse propagation measurements that allow us to fully describe the transition between several light–matter interaction regimes. The complete range from linear excitation to the breakdown of the photonic bandgap on to self-induced transmission and self-phase modulation is studied on a high-quality multiple-quantum-well Bragg structure. An improved fast-scanning cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating setup is applied to retrieve the pulse phase with an excellent signal-tonoise ratio. Calculations using the semiconductor Maxwell–Bloch equations show qualitative agreement with the experimental findings.

We study phonon-assisted electron tunneling in semiconductor quantum dot molecules. In particular, singletsinglet relaxation in a two-electron-doped structure is considered. The influence of Coulomb interaction is discussed via comparison with a single-electron system. We find that the relaxation rate reaches similar values in the two cases but the Coulomb interaction shifts the maximum rates toward larger separations between the dots. The difference in electron-phonon interaction between deformation potential and piezoelectric coupling is investigated. We show that the phonon-induced tunneling between two-electron singlet states is a fast process, taking place on the time scales of the order of a few tens of picoseconds.

The interaction of strong low-area pulses with two-level systems shows absorption line narrowing and hole burning within the homogeneous linewidth as a result of nonlinear wave mixing. The wave mixing results from the two-level electronic saturation nonlinearity and occurs, depending on the sign of the pulse area, as a strong absorption enhancement or gain at the transition frequency of the two-level system for resonant excitation.

We investigate the optical properties of a Coulomb-coupled double-quantum dot system excited by coherent light pulses. Basic effects of Coulomb coupling regarding linear and nonlinear optical processes are discussed. By numerically solving the Heisenberg equation of motion we are able to present the temporal evolution of the system’s density matrix for a wide range of coupling parameters. The two main coupling effects in dipole approximation, biexcitonic shift and Förster energy transfer, are investigated and their qualitative and quantitative influence on absorption spectra, Rabi oscillations, and single- and two-pulse excitation is discussed. We present simulated differential transmission spectra to allow for comparison with recent experimental studies.

We theoretically study the biexciton-phonon interaction in strongly confined semiconductor quantum dots. For spectrally narrow single-pulse excitation generation of biexcitonic occupations is only possible via a two-photon cascade, which exhibits renormalized Rabi oscillations and spectrally compressed phononsidebands.

Using a fully quantized description of strongly confined electrons interacting with acoustic phonons and the photon field, the nonstationary resonance-fluorescence spectra of a semiconductor quantum dot are investigated. For excitation pulses with durations approaching typical electron-phonon scattering times, the virtual quantum processes yield an observable electron-phonon sideband broadening.

Time-dependent two-photon photoemission spectra are used to resolve the femtosecond dynamics of hot electrons at the energetically lowest surface resonance of reconstructed InP(100). Two different cases are studied, where electrons either are lifted into the surface resonance via a direct optical transition or are captured from bulk states. These data are the first of this kind recorded with a time resolution below 70 fs. The microscopic analysis shows that electron-phonon scattering is a major mechanism for electron transfer between surface and bulk states.

We demonstrate that the temporal pulse phase remains essentially unaltered before separate phase characteristics are developed when propagating high-intensity pulses coherently on the exciton resonance of an optically thick semiconductor. This behavior is a clear manifestation of self-induced transmission and pulse breakup into solitonlike pulses due to Rabi flopping of the carrier density. Experiments using a novel fast-scan cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating (XFROG) method are in good agreement with numerical calculations based on the semiconductor Bloch equations.

The electromagnetic field of a high-quality photonic crystal nanocavity is computed using the finite difference time domain method. It is shown that a separatrix occurs in the local energy flux discriminating between predominantly near and far field components. Placing a two-level atom into the cavity leads to characteristic field modifications and normalmode splitting in the transmission spectra.

A microscopic description based on the density matrix formalism is developed to describe the dynamics of photoemission of hot electrons at semiconductor surfaces, including the interaction of bulk and surface states. The equations of motion for the electronic occupations and transitions include the interaction with arbitrary optical fields as well as the electron-phonon coupling. Model wave functions are used to qualitatively describe the bulk-surface dynamics and the subsequent time resolved two-photon photoemission s2PPEd spectra. Our results suggest that it is possible to extract energetic and temporal information of the underlying dynamical occupations of the intermediate states from the 2PPE spectra.

The interaction of electrons with LO phonons provides an important mechanism of optical dephasing and carrier scattering for the two-dimensional electron gas in semiconductor quantum wells. In this paper, the corresponding ultrafast nonlinearities for off-resonant and resonant intersubband excitations are investigated. Quantum kinetic effects of the electron-phonon interaction and the corresponding violation of the microscopic energy conservation yield a qualitative different picture compared to the standard Markovian theory, if the phonon energy is larger than the intersubband-gap energy.

The coupling of surface and bulk states at semiconductor surfaces through electron–phonon interaction is discussed. The governing equations are derived from a microscopic theory in the framework of the density matrix theory. To gain a first insight, model wave functions are used to simulate the dynamics of nonequilibrium electron distributions in three- and two-dimensional states, coupled by Fröhlich interaction. Typical time scales for the coupling are found to be in the order of few hundreds of femtoseconds.

We investigate the temporal and spectral properties of subpicosecond pulses transmitted on the heavy-hole exciton transition through a multiple-quantum-well Bragg structure, exhibiting a one-dimensional photonic band gap. At low light intensities, a temporal propagation beating is observed. This beating is strongly dependent on the optical dephasing time T2 which is dominated by the radiative interwell coupling. In an intermediate intensity regime, the Pauli-blocking nonlinearity leads to gradual suppression of the photonic band gap and vanishing of the linear propagation beating. For highly nonlinear excitation, we find signatures of selfinduced transmission due to Rabi flopping and adiabatic following of the carrier density. Numerical simulations using the semiconductor Maxwell-Bloch equations are in excellent agreement with the experimental data up to intensities for which higher many-particle correlations become more important and self-phase modulation occurs in the sample substrate.

We present a theory of the optical line shape of coherent intersubband transitions in a semiconductor quantum well, considering non-Markovian LO-phonon scattering as major broadening mechanism. We show that a quantum kinetic approach leads to additional polaron resonances and a resonance enhancement for gap energies close to the phonon energy.

The adiabatic driving of the resonant electron dynamics in a one-dimensional resonant photonic band gap is proposed as an optical mechanism for nonlinear ultrafast switching. Pulsed excitation inside the photonic gap results in an ultrafast suppression and recovery of the gap. This behavior results from the adiabatic carrier dynamics due to rapid radiative damping inside the band gap.

We present the experimental observation and the theoretical modelling of self-induced transparency signatures such as nonlinear transmission, pulse retardation and reshaping for subpicosecond pulse propagation in a 2 mm-long InGaAs quantum-dot ridge waveguide at 10 K. The measurements were obtained using a cross-correlation frequency resolved optical gating technique which allows us to retrieve the field amplitude of the propagating pulses.

The phonon-induced dephasing dynamics of semiconductor quantum dots during nonlinear optical excitation is studied using quantum kinetic equations. We find that despite the decoherence process Rabi oscillations occur even for relatively long pulse durations and that their signatures in pump-probe experiments only get suppressed for high input pulse areas.

We report the experimental observation and the theoretical modeling of self-induced-transparency signatures such as nonlinear transmission, pulse retardation and reshaping, for subpicosecond pulse propagation in a 2-mm-long InGaAs quantum-dot ridge waveguide in resonance with the excitonic ground-state transition at 10 K. The measurements were obtained by using a cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating technique which allows us to retrieve the field amplitude of the propagating pulses.

The nonlinear propagation of subpicosecond pulses resonant to the hh 1s exciton in Bragg-periodic multiple quantum wells is investigated experimentally and theoretically. We show coherent pulse breakup and its suppression for increasing pulse intensity in good agreement with calculations based on the semiconductor Maxwell-Bloch equations. For highly nonlinear excitation, pulse compression is observed which is strongly enhanced by the additional contribution of self-phase modulation in the barrier and substrate material.

We outline a theoretical description of the absorption linewidth of quantum well intersubband transitions by solving Maxwell’s equations for a non-local susceptibility including many particle effects. We show that the intersubband absorption results from a complex interplay between mean-field effects, dephasing contributions and light propagation effects, all being very sensitive to subband dispersion.

Nonlinear propagation of optical pulses through an extended bulk semiconductor is investigated using the coupled semiconductor Maxwell‐Bloch equations including excitation induced correlations. For short pulse excitation around the exciton resonance, the theory describes the development of polariton beats and their suppression at increasing input pulse intensities due to the coupling of single exciton states to the Coulomb‐correlated continuum of two‐exciton states. A comparison of the theoretical results with experimental observations for CdSe bulk material is presented.

The coherent exciton-light coupling in pulse propagation experiments on the A-exciton resonance in bulk CdSe is investigated over a broad intensity range. At low light intensities, polariton propagation beats due to interference between excited states on both polariton branches are observed. In an intermediate intensity regime, the temporal polariton beating is suppressed in consequence of exciton-exciton interaction. At the highest light intensities, self-induced transmission and multiple pulse breakup are identified as a signature for carrier density Rabi flopping. Exciton-phonon scattering is shown to gradually eliminate coherent nonlinear propagation effects due to enhanced dephasing of the excitonic polarization. Calculations using the semiconductor Maxwell-Bloch equations are in qualitative agreement with the experimental data.

Features reminiscent of spectral hole burning in a homogeneous line are predicted to result from the interaction of small area pulses with the semiconductor exciton resonance. The small area pulses may be designed through pulse shaping or evolve naturally in bulk semiconductors via polaritonic effects. The spectral features exhibit signatures that are characteristic for the underlying material nonlinearity and should occur in any system with isolated spectral resonances and coherent nonlinearities.

The occurrence of non-Lorentzian lineshapes is analyzed for a variety of nanooptical semiconductor systems such as quantum wells and quantum dots. Their origin is traced back to light–matter interaction (light propagation) and many-particle correlations (electron–electron and electron– phonon interaction).