Infrared switching from resonant to passive photonic bandgaps: transition from purely photonic to hybrid electronic/photonic systems

摘要

Coherently controlled optical processes have been extensively studied in various systems including atoms, quantum wells and quantum dots. In this study we investigate such processes in Bragg multi-quantum well resonant (active) photonic bandgaps, wherein the dipole-dipole interwell interaction couples different quantum wells together, forming supperradiant exciton modes. Our results show that in such systems one can use an infrared laser beam to replace the collective superradiant mode with an electromagnetically induced transparency mode, demonstrating infrared switching of an active photonic bandgap to a hybrid system. Such a hybrid system consists of a passive photonic bandgap and an electromagnetically induced transparency band window superimposed on each other. A detailed study of the interplay between the collective and infrared-induced exciton excitations of quantum wells in Bragg multi-quantum well resonant photonic bandgap structures is presented.