Spin-orbit interaction effects on the optical properties of quantum wires under the influence of in-plane magnetic fields

In this work, we studied the effects of in-plane magnetic field and Rashba spin-orbit interaction on the intersubband optical absorption coefficients and changes in refractive index for transitions between the first two lower-lying electronic levels of quantum wire represented by a parabolic confining potential. The analytical expressions of the linear and third-order nonlinear optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes are obtained by using the compact-density matrix formalism and iterative scheme. Optical properties are investigated as a function of quantum wire radius, strength and orientation of magnetic field, strength of Rashba spin-orbit interaction and photon energies. Numerical results reveal that the optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes are strongly affected and thus can be controlled by these parameters.