Generation of ultrashort electrical pulses through screening by virtual populations in biased quantum wells

We consider theoretically a semiconductor quantum well subject to an electrostatic field normal to the layer and a strong monochromatic laser field in the transparency region below the absorption edge. We show that ultrashort optical pulses generate ultrashort voltage pulses because the virtual electron-hole population induced by the laser field partially screens the applied static field. We predict that voltages >1 V could be generated in micron-thick multiple quantum well structures by use of low-power short-pulse lasers.