Stark effect in Al<i>x</i>Ga1−<i>x</i>As/GaAs coupled quantum wells

Abstract

Optical spectra near the band edges of AlxGa1−xAs/GaAs coupled quantum well structures are found to exhibit rich structure. Under the Stark perturbation, these transitions have behavior remarkably different from those associated with single quantum wells. Positive energy shifts and high sensitivity to electric fields have been observed and interpreted as evidence of well coupling. Results of a simple numerical calculation support this interpretation.