Coherent control of electron intersubband transitions by frequency-detuned light fields

We present a brief overview over some of our recent theoretical results regarding coherent control in semiconductor heterostrutures. Three potential schemes for optical coherent control of electron intersubband transitions in semiconductor heterostructures are reviewed. They use the relative phase between two external light fields to manipulate fundamental physical properties, such as absorption, optical gain, final-state population, phonon emission rates, and emission of THz radiation. In this paper we focus on the coherent control of absorption (exciton formation) using two frequency-detuned light fields in asymmetric GaAs/AlGaAs double wells. We show that in the short-pulse regime the change of relative phase amounts to pulse shaping which, in conjunction with excitonic effects, allows substantial control of inter(sub)band transitions. In the long-pulse regime this phase sensitivity is lost, however, charge oscillations between wells can be induced.