Enhanced second-harmonic generation from planar photonic crystals

Strongly enhanced second-harmonic generation is observed from a two-dimensional square lattice GaAs/AlGaAs photonic crystal waveguide when the fundamental beam, the second-harmonic beam, or both beams resonantly couple to a leaky eigenmode. P-polarized second-harmonic spectra are obtained for s-polarized, 150-fs pump pulses that are tuned from 5000 to 5600 cm(-1) and directed along the gamma-chi direction of the crystal for various angles of incidence. Compared with off-resonant conditions, enhancements of >1200x in the second-harmonic conversion are observed for resonant coupling of both the fundamental and the second-harmonic fields to leaky eigenmnodes. The angular and spectral positions of the peaks are in good agreement with simulations.     

Enhanced second-harmonic generation from individual metallic nanoapertures

We demonstrate the ability of single-subwavelength-size nanoapertures fabricated in a gold metal thin film to enhance second-harmonic generation (SHG) as compared to a bare metal film. Nonlinear microscopy imaging with polarization resolution is used to quantify the SHG enhancement in circular and triangular nanoaperture shapes. The dependence of the measured SHG enhancement on circular aperture diameters is seen to originate from both phase retardation effects and field enhancements at the nanoaperture edge. Triangular nanoapertures exhibit superior SHG enhancement compared with circular ones, as expected from their noncentrosymmetric shape.     

Enhanced second-harmonic generation in AlGaAs/AlxOy tightly confining waveguides and resonant cavities

We demonstrate second-harmonic generation (SHG) from sub-micrometer-sized AlGaAs/AlxOy artificially birefringent waveguides. The normalized conversion efficiency is the highest ever reported. We further enhanced the SHG using a waveguide-embedded cavity formed by dichroic mirrors. Resonant enhancements as high as approximately 10x were observed. Such devices could be potentially used as highly efficient, ultracompact frequency converters in integrated photonic circuits.     

Magnetic-field-induced second-harmonic generation in semiconductor GaAs

We show that application of a magnetic field induces optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) in GaAs. This phenomenon arises from field-induced symmetry breaking causing new optical nonlinearities. A series of narrow SHG lines is observed in the spectral range from 1.52 to 1.77 eV that we attribute to Landau-level quantization of the band energy spectrum. The rotational anisotropy of the SHG signal distinctly differs from that of the electric-dipole approximation. Model calculations reveal that nonlinear magneto-optical spatial dispersion that comes together with the electric-dipole term is the dominant mechanism for this nonlinearity.     

Spatial quantum noise in singly resonant second-harmonic generation

We study the spatial distribution of quantum noise in singly resonant second-harmonic generation. Calculations are performed below threshold for spatial modulational instability. For parameters for which the intracavity fields are modulationally stable the spatial spectrum shows maximum squeezing at k=0, whereas under conditions of modulational instability we find maximum squeezing at finite wave number |k|=k(c), where k(c) corresponds to the classical critical wave number.     

Pulse compression during second-harmonic generation in aperiodic quasi-phase-matching gratings

We propose a simple means for compressing optical pulses with second-harmonic generation. Aperiodic quasi-phase-matching gratings impart a frequency-dependent phase shift on the second-harmonic pulse relative to the fundamental pulse and can be engineered to correct for arbitrary phase distortions. The mechanism is discussed, and a detailed analysis of the compression of quadratic phase (linear frequency) chirped pulses is presented.     

Enhanced second-harmonic generation in AlGaAs microring resonators

Highly efficient second-harmonic generation can be achieved by harnessing resonance effects in microring resonator structures. We propose an angular quasi-phase-matching scheme based on the position dependence of polarization inside the ring resonator.     

Two-photon absorption and resonant non-phase-matched second-harmonic generation in CdSe

Exciting a hexagonal CdSe crystal with picosecond Nd: glass laser pulses, two-photon absorption and resonant non-phase-matched second-harmonic generation occur simultaneously. Using different crystal orientations, all components of the secondharmonic susceptibility tensor (non-vanishing components ared ₃₁,d ₃₃ andd ₁₅) and some components of the two-photon absorption susceptibility tensor _ijkl ⁽³⁾ (–_L; _L, _L, –_L) are determined.     

Surface-emitting second-harmonic generation in AlGaAs/GaAs waveguides

We investigate the impact of waveguide properties on the performance of surface-emitting second-harmonic generation (SESHG) devices. Using multi-layer AlGaAs/GaAs ridge waveguides that are optimized for SESHG at fundamental wavelengths = 1060 and 1550 nm, we achieve nonlinear cross-sections among the highest reported so far. In these devices, characteristics of the guided fundamental wave strongly determine the SESHG performance: multiple reflections in the longitudinal direction affect the conversion efficiency while higher order lateral waveguide modes modify the SESHG farfield. Both effects are significant for applications of SESHG in integrated photonic circuits.     

Doubly resonant second-harmonic generation in a fiber-based tunable open microcavity

Microcavities constructed from materials with a second-order nonlinear coefficient have enabled efficient second-harmonic(SH) generation at a low power level. However, it is still technically challenging to realize double resonance with large nonlinear modal overlap in a microcavity. Here, we propose a design for a robust, tunable, and easy coupling double-resonance SH generation based on the combination of a newly developed fiber-based Fabry–Perot microcavity and a sandwich structure, whose num...     

Femtosecond laser-induced melting of GaAs probed by optical second-harmonic generation

Primary steps of melting (disordering) of GaAs surface layers after femtosecond pulse excitation have been measured through second-harmonic generation in reflection. A numerical fit of the experimental data yield a characteristic time delay between excitation and lattice melting of about 75 fs.     

Engineerable femtosecond pulse shaping by second-harmonic generation with Fourier synthetic quasi-phase-matching gratings

We describe a pulse-shaping technique that uses second-harmonic generation with Fourier synthetic quasi-phase-matching gratings. We demonstrate both amplitude and phase tailoring by generating a picosecond squarelike pulse as well as trains of femtosecond pulses with a terahertz-range repetition rate from either a compressed or a chirped pump pulse.     

Localized polaritons and second-harmonic generation in a resonant medium with quadratic nonlinearity

We derive model equations for the propagation of ultrashort pulses in materials with resonant linear and quadratic nonlinear responses and find approximate soliton solutions describing all-bright and dark-bright polaritons. We report the specific phase matching condition for efficient 2nd harmonic generation, which involves detuning from the resonance. We also demonstrate that the 2nd harmonic emission by the polaritonic pulses can lead to reduction of their group velocity, having zero as a theoretical limit. Our analytical results are supported by numerical simulations.     

Pulsed-laser annealing of GaAs surface studied by time-resolved second-harmonic generation in reflection

Experimental results are presented on the time dependence of the second-harmonic generation (SHG) of a mode-locked Q-switched Nd: YAG laser in reflection from both amorphous and crystalline GaAs surfaces during the pulsed-laser annealing under ruby laser irradiation. A dramatic increase of SHG by more than two orders of magnitude due to recrystallization of the noncentrosymmetric GaAs lattice in the process of pulsed-laser annealing is observed and the duration of surface recrystallization is measured to be not greater than 30–40 ns. The results can be fully understood in terms of the melting model of laser annealing.     

Modification of pattern formation in doubly resonant second-harmonic generation by competing parametric oscillation

We analyze pattern formation in doubly resonant intracavity second-harmonic generation in the presence of competing nondegenerate parametric downconversion. We show that for positive cavity detuning of the fundamental frequency the threshold for parametric oscillation is lower than that of transverse, pattern forming instabilities. The parametric oscillation strongly modifies the pattern dynamics found previously in a simplified analysis that neglects parametric instability [Phys. Rev. E 56, 4803 (1997)]. Stationary and dynamic patterns in the presence of parametric oscillation are found numerically.     

From parametric gap solitons to chaos by means of second-harmonic generation in Bragg gratings

We review the theory of light localization due to the combined action of single or double Bragg coupling between dichromatic counterpropagating envelopes and parametric mixing nonlinearities. We discuss existence, stability, and excitation of such localized envelopes. We also investigate the link between stationary gap solitons and input-output response of nonlinear quadratic Bragg gratings. Frustrated transmission and multistable switching is expected to occur under suitable integrable (cascading) limits. Substantial deviations from these conditions lead to the onset of spatial chaos. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.     

Polarization-vortex-driven second-harmonic generation

Polarization vortices exist in the focus of a class of vector beams, the lowest order of which possess full vector symmetry about the axis of propagation of the beam. At high numerical apertures these beams are known to exhibit large, local, longitudinal fields in the focal region. At an interface these fields can be many times stronger than the largest available transverse component and are therefore candidates for a variety of different experiments in surface physics. The observation of vortex-driven surface second-harmonic generation at smooth metal and semiconductor surfaces and thin films is reported. By comparing the response to that of a purely transverse field, we show that the smooth surface responds primarily to the longitudinal field component.