Accurate calculation of carrier escape time from reverse-biased quantum-well saturable absorbers

In this paper we present a computationally efficient way of evaluating carrier escape time from a single quantum-well under an arbitrarily strong reverse bias. Quantum-well saturable absorbers attract considerable attention as they are crucial in the operation of picosecond semiconductor lasers. Our model treats both tunnelling and thermionic emission processes on the same footing. The model can be generalised for either type of carriers and nonequilibrium carrier distributions.