Excitonic contributions to the quantum-confined Pockels effect

The quantum confined Pockels effect results from the combination of the genuine interface roto-inversion asymmetry and the breakdown of quantum well inversion symmetry due to the applied electric field. It is currently understood in terms of the field-dependent mixing of the heavy and light hole states at the center of the minizone. Here we investigate how excitonic interaction modifies the predictions of band-to-band calculations, and compare theory with experimental results obtained in InxGa1-xAs-InP quantum wells.