RESONANTLY-ENHANCED NONLINEAR OPTICS OF INTERSUBBAND TRANSITIONS

Abstract

We rigorously derive the nonlinear optical response of quantum well intersubband transitions. After a review of the uniqueness of the optical properties of intersubband transitions and of the main experimental results in the field, the limitations of the standard perturbative nonlinear treatment are examined. It is shown that resonant-enhancement leads to the divergence of the perturbative expansion even at moderate optical intensities. In particular we examine the feasibility of all-optical modulation, electrooptic modulation, and high efficiency second-harmonic generation using intersubband transitions. Upper limits on the magnitude of nonlinear phenomena that may be obtained via intersubband transitions are derived for these cases.