Nonperturbative dynamic photon absorption of quantum wells

Optical photoresponse of quantum wells in the nonperturbative regime has been studied by high-power and ultrafast-oscillating free-electron laser (FEL) experiments, which revealed a profound deviation of the nonlinear power from conventional perturbative multiple photon absorption processes. By combining the experimental and theoretical works we have shown that the nonperturbative solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation is essential to understand the experimental observations. Optical transitions of electrons are dynamic. One photon is absorbed or emitted when an electron transits from one electron state to the other. The rates of absorption and emission are proportional to the time interval in the femtosecond time scale. In the picosecond time scale, multiphoton processes emerge. The strong and fast-oscillating FEL source intensifies the dynamic photon absorption and emission processes in the quantum wells, resulting in a much enhanced nonlinearity in the photoresponse spectrum.
QC 20100525