Bragg solitons in quantum-well structures

Soliton pulse propagation in a periodic quantum-well structure with a period close to one-half the light wavelength corresponding to the exciton resonance frequency was studied. The various kinds of exciton nonlinearity characteristic of a quantum well (P³-and EP²-type nonlinearities, biexciton nonlinearity) were included. The characteristic features of the soliton were studied in each of the cases considered. The effect of refractive index mismatch between the barrier and quantum-well materials on the soliton parameters was analyzed. Soliton solutions to the Maxwell-Bloch nonlinear equations are compared with their plane-wave solutions.