Nonlinear optical properties of semiconductor quantum wires

Nonlinear optical transmission at discrete frequencies (bleaching bands) has been observed in CdSe and GaAs quantum wires crystallized in chrysotile asbestos nanotubes with average diameter ≈ 6 nm and in nanocrystals of CdS (crystallized in the transparent molecular filter—mica with empty channels of designed diameter). The induced decrease of absorption in quantum wires has been explained by filling of the size-quantized energy bands with nonequilibrium carriers (saturation effect) and by the phase-space filling of excitons.