Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Quantum Wells: Bridging the Gap Between Basic Physics and Devices

There is considerable current interest in optoelectronic devices such as lasers, detectors and modulators fabricated from semiconductor microstructures. One of the goals of the current work in these areas is to increase the speed of such devices. In order to accomplish increased operating speeds, it is necessary to understand limitations imposed by fundamental physics. Ultrafast spectroscopy of quantum wells provides a means of investigating fundamental physics that determines the ultimate physical limitation on device performance.