Effects of an intense laser field radiation on the optical properties of semiconductor quantum wells

Laser-dressed quantum well potentials for both conduction and valence band are derived in the frame of non-perturbative theory and variational approach. A significant blue shift is obtained for the interband recombination energy and quantum well fundamental absorption edge, when an intense, non-resonant laser field radiation, is applied. Strong enhancement of the blue shift occurs in the higher lying electron-heavy-hole recombination processes. Reduction of the absorption coefficient due to the laser-dressing potential is obtained as well. The blue shift and the reduction of absorption coefficient are found to be both dependent upon the well thickness, thus allowing direct investigation of the lasing frequency of GaAs-Ga1-xAlxAs quantum well lasers, by applying an intense, non-resonant, laser field radiation. A novel approach to build GaAs-Ga1-xAlxAs lasers, by tailoring the semiconductor parameters and the external long-wavelength laser field radiation, is theoretically predicted. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.