Photon storage with ultrafast switching in coupled quantum wells

Photon storage with ultrafast switching was implemented with indirect excitons in coupled quantum wells. The storage and release of photons was controlled by the gate voltage: a pulse of the gate voltage increased the exciton lifetime by orders of magnitude, resulting in storage of the absorbed photons in the form of indirect excitons; the pulse termination led to the emission of the stored photons. The storage time reached microseconds. The write and readout times were subnanosecond, and faster by an order of magnitude than the previously established record for optoelectronic photon storage devices.