Résumé:

Semiconductor coupled quantum wells (CQWs) offer an excellent laboratory for studying both intra-well direct excitons (DX) and inter-well indirect excitons (IX), as well as their interactions and spin dynamics. The presentation will focus on the pump-probe spectroscopy, a powerful tool of nonlinear optics, that we have applied to biased CQW. We will show how DX and IX spin and population dynamics, as well as the spin polarization of residual electrons may be detected via the modulation of reflectivity and Kerr rotation spectra. In particular, the origin of the nonlinearities related to the low oscillator strength IXs will be addressed. Spin relaxation and decoherence mechanisms for DX, IX and electron gas will be presented. Results on IXs created via magnetic Stark effect and the resulting spin dynamics in unbiased quantum wells will be discussed