Nonlinear pulse propagation in semiconductors: Hole burning within a homogeneous line

Features reminiscent of spectral hole burning in a homogeneous line are pre dicted to result from the interaction of small area pulses with the semicon ductor exciton resonance. The small area pulses may be designed through pul se shaping or evolve naturally in bulk semiconductors via polaritonic effec ts. The spectral features exhibit signatures that are characteristic for th e underlying material nonlinearity and should occur in any system with isol ated spectral resonances and coherent nonlinearities.