Time-resolved photoluminescence from GaAs/AlGaAs multiquantum wells quenched by pulsed mid-infrared radiation

Several groups have demonstrated the suppression of photoluminescence (PL) from semiconductor quantum wells (QWs) by intense midinfrared radiation (MIR). Since most of the previous studies are done on time-integrated PL the ultrafast changes in the radiative state population are not well understood. We present a detailed study on time-resolved PL from an undoped GaAs/AlGaAs QW sample quenched by MIR pulses from a free-electron laser, which was tuned to the intersubband transition (ISBT) energy. At the arrival time of the MIR pulse a clear sharp dip appears in the PL transient. Free carrier absorption and ISBT are the two processes that take place under MIR excitation and result in an abrupt drop of the radiative state population and consequently in an ultrafast quenching of the PL. Performing polarization sensitive measurements, we were able to discriminate the contributions of free carrier absorption from that of ISBT. A quantitative analysis of the PL dip depth and recovery time as a function of MIR fluence was done using a model based on rate equations.