Terahertz nonlinear optics of excitons in semiconductor quantum wells

We report the investigation of two nonlinear optical phenomena which are related to intra-excitonic transitions in semiconductor quantum wells and thus occur in the THz range. This is, on one hand, the generation of THz sidebands of near-band gap radiation, a perturbative process, and on the other hand, the AC Stark effect manifested by the Autler-Townes splitting as a non-perturbative effect. Both phenomena are induced by the strong THz field of the Dresden THz free-electron laser.