Abstract

Saturation of the absorption and electroabsorption at high optical intensities in multiple quantum wells(MQWs) is important for several reasons. MQWs can be used as saturable absorbers in a variety of applications, such as passively mode-locked lasers, and as electroabsorptive devices in optical communications systems.^[1] Absorption saturation in the absence of an electric field has been extensively studied, and is believed to be due primarily to phase-space filling by excited electrons and holes.[^2] However, saturation in the presence of a field is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that screening of the applied electric field by photogenerated holes is the primary effect in this saturation, and show that a self-consistent theory of this screening can account for the observed saturation without adjustable parameters.

© 1990 Optical Society of America