Optically induced ultrafast quenching of the semiconductor quantum well luminescence

We present an experimental configuration that enables the ultrafast, transient quenching of the excitonic photoluminescence in quantum wells. Our scheme is based on two, delayed, short pulses experiment. A first pulse excites carriers in the system, while a second pulse induces an ultrafast redistribution of excitons that results in abrupt dips in the photoluminescence. We present a model that quantitatively accounts for the measured dip depth. The magnitude of the dip, determined by the temperature change of the carriers, can be controlled by varying the power and delay of the second pulse.