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Updated: May 18, 2026

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs
Published on: June 8, 2018
Terahertz excitation of a coherent λ-type three-level system of exciton-polariton modes in a quantum-well microcavity
J L Tomaino1, A D Jameson, Yun-Shik Lee
1Department of Physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA.
Abstract:
Interactions of few-cycle terahertz pulses with the induced optical polarization in a quantum-well microcavity reveal that the lower and higher exciton-polariton modes together with the optically forbidden 2p-exciton state form a unique Λ-type three-level system. Pronounced nonlinearities are observed via time-resolved strong-terahertz and weak-optical excitation spectroscopy and explained with a fully microscopic theory. The results show that the terahertz pulses strongly couple the exciton-polariton states to the 2p-exciton state while no resonant transition between the two polariton levels is observed.
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