Dynamics and control of few-cycle ultrashort pulse propagation in an asymmetric coupled-quantum-well nanostructure

The nonlinear propagation of few-cycle ultrashort pulse in an asymmetric coupled-quantum-well (CQW) nanostructure is simulated by solving numerically the full Maxwell–Bloch equations with an iterative predictor–corrector finite-difference time-domain method. The behaviors of electric field profiles for 2π and 4π ultrashort pulses in different propagating zones are predicted in details beyond the slowly varying envelope and rotating-wave approximations. This investigation may provide a guideline for optimizing and controlling ultrashort pulses in solid-state media, which are promising for practical applications in high-speed optical communications.