Transition between different coherent light-matter interaction regimes analyzed by phase-resolved pulse propagation

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• Understanding light-matter interactions is crucial for developing advanced optical devices.
• Photonic bandgap structures exhibit unique light propagation properties.
• Nonlinear optical phenomena like self-induced transmission and self-phase modulation are key to novel applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively characterize the transition between various light-matter interaction regimes.
• To investigate the complete spectrum from linear excitation to nonlinear effects in a Bragg structure.
• To provide detailed phase-resolved measurements of pulse propagation.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing an improved fast-scanning cross-correlation frequency-resolved optical gating (XFROG) setup.
• Performing phase-resolved pulse propagation measurements on a high-quality multiple-quantum-well Bragg structure.
• Employing numerical simulations based on the semiconductor Maxwell-Bloch equations.

Main Results:

• Successfully mapped the transition from linear excitation to photonic bandgap breakdown.
• Observed and described phenomena including self-induced transmission and self-phase modulation.
• Achieved high signal-to-noise ratio for accurate pulse phase retrieval.
• Experimental findings showed qualitative agreement with theoretical calculations.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a complete description of light-matter interaction regimes in a Bragg structure.
• Advanced XFROG techniques enable precise characterization of nonlinear optical phenomena.
• Semiconductor Maxwell-Bloch equations offer a valid model for describing these interactions.