Signatures of Fano resonances in four-wave-mixing experiments

Optical transitions into discrete levels coupled to an optically active continuum lead to asymmetrical Fano lines in the linear absorption spectra, reflecting interference between the excitation channels. We investigate the corresponding four-wave-mixing spectra for the nonlinear optical response within a model of noninteracting electrons. Our results show that four-wave-mixing experiments provide a useful tool to identify Fano resonances.