Dispersive terahertz gain of a nonclassical oscillator: BLOCH oscillation in semiconductor superlattices.
We have directly determined the spectral shape of the complex conductivities of Bloch oscillating electrons by using the time-domain terahertz (THz) electro-optic sampling technique, and presented experimental evidence for a dispersive Bloch gain in superlattices. This unique dispersive gain without population inversion arises from a nonclassical nature of Bloch oscillations; that is, the phase of the Bloch oscillation is shifted by pi/2 from that of the semiclassical charged harmonic oscillation when driven by the same ac field. By increasing the bias electric field, the gain bandwidth reached approximately 3 THz in our particular sample.
Sekine
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Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan. nsekine@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Hirakawa
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K