Dominance of radiative coupling over disorder in resonance Rayleigh scattering in semiconductor multiple quantum-well structures

Resonance Rayleigh scattering by periodic semiconductor multiple quantum-we ll structures is studied experimentally and theoretically. Polaritonic effe cts are found to dominate disorder in the secondary emission dynamics. The coexistence of several radiant polaritonic modes with different radiative d ecay times leads to polarization beating between modes, strongly influences the rise times, and determines the fast decay times of the resonance Rayle igh scattered signals.