Linear and nonlinear optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes in Morse quantum wells under electric field

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate theoretically the effects of electric field on the linear and nonlinear optical properties of Morse quantum wells considering a two-level system. The effective mass approximation and the envelope function approach are used to calculate the energy levels and wave functions. The analytical expressions of the optical properties are obtained by using the compact density-matrix approach. The linear and third-order nonlinear optical absorption coefficients and the refractive index changes are investigated as a function of the incident photon energy for several configurations of the structural parameter and the applied electric field. Numerical results, presented for a typical GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well, reveal that the electric field has a significant effect on the optical characteristics of these structures and intersubband transitions can be modified by tuning the structural range parameter of the potential.