Enhanced squeezing by absorption

Abstract

Absorption is usually expected to be detrimental to quantum coherence effects. However, the situation for complex absorption spectra has been little studied yet. We consider the resonance fluorescence of excitons in a semiconductor quantum well. The creation of excitons requires absorption of the incoming pump-laser light. Thus, the absorption spectrum of the medium acts as a spectral filter for the emitted light. Surprisingly, absorption can even improve quantum effects, as is demonstrated for the squeezing of the resonance fluorescence of the quantum-well system. This effect can be explained by an improved phase matching due to absorption.