Electric field effects on nonlinear optical rectification in symmetric coupled AlxGa1−xAs/GaAs quantum wells

Highlights: •Electric field-dependent optical rectification is revealed. •Well width-dependent optical rectification is revealed under electric field. •Barrier width-dependent optical rectification is revealed under electric field. -- Abstract: Nonlinear optical rectification in symmetric coupled Al_xGa_1−xAs/GaAs quantum wells with external electric field is investigated using numerical method and compact density matrix approach. Our results reveal that for the resonant peaks of optical rectification, a blue shift is exhibited for increasing electric field, while a red shift followed by a blue shift is exhibited for increasing barrier or well widths. The resonant peak values of optical rectification can reach a maximum value by an appropriate choice for the electric field, the barrier or well widths. Our studies pave the way for the design, optimization and applications of quantum-sized nonlinear optoelectronic devices.