Tunable-chirp pulse compression in quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation

We demonstrate continuously tunable compensation of linear chirp on a first-harmonic pump pulse to produce a near-transform-limited second-harmonic output pulse through the use of a chirped, fanned, periodically poled lithium niobate quasi-phase-matching grating. Compensation of positive and negative chirps is possible through reversal of device orientation. The device is simple and monolithic and can be applied to compensation of a higher-order phase with minor modification.     

Phase correction in double-pass quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation with a wedged crystal

Compensation for dispersive elements is necessary for efficient multiple-pass and intracavity nonlinear frequency-conversion devices. We describe the use of a wedged quasi-phase-matched crystal to compensate for the phase shifts introduced by mirrors in such devices, taking advantage of the periodic variation in the relative phases of the interacting waves in a quasi-phase-matching grating. A representative double-pass second-harmonic generation experiment with a 5-cm -long periodically poled lithium niobate crystal showed the expected conversion efficiency enhancement.     

Amplitude squeezing by means of quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation in a lithium niobate waveguide

We demonstrate that traveling-wave second-harmonic generation produces amplitude-squeezed light at both the fundamental and the harmonic frequencies. Quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic conversion efficiencies approaching 60% were obtained in a 26-mm-long single-mode LiNbO(3) waveguide with pulses from a mode-locked laser at 1.53 microm. The amplitude noise of the transmitted fundamental field was measured to be 0.8 dB below the shot-noise level, and the generated 0.765-microm harmonic light was measured to be amplitude squeezed by 0.35 dB. The conversion-efficiency dependence of the observed squeezing at both wavelengths agrees with theoretical predictions. Waveguide losses appear to degrade the squeezing, but the maximum observed squeezing is currently limited only by the available input power.     

Efficient second-harmonic generation of a CO2 laser with a quasi-phase-matched GaAs crystal

We report on the fabrication and characterization of 5-mm-long quasi-phase-matched diffusion-bonded GaAs crystals designed for frequency doubling of a CO(2) laser. Second-harmonic generation of a pulsed laser yielded up to 24% peak power efficiency at 20 MW/cm(2) . Tunability and laser damage threshold are also investigated.     

Electro-optic modulation on nonlinear phase shift and fundamental transmission in quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation

Nonlinear phase shift and transmission experienced by a beam at the fundamental frequency during electro-optic modulated quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation are studied. Numerical results indicate that the nonlinear phase shift of fundamental wave shows a difference of π, while fundamental transmission is controllable only by applying a DC electric field along z-axis. The above effect can be implemented on high-contrast optical switching devices such as Mach-Zehnder push-pull device. The relationships between the characteristic (peak and dip) electric fields and the initial pump intensity are also discussed.     

Analysis of difference frequency generation and cascaded second-harmonic generation and difference frequency generation in lossy quasi-phase-matched semiconductor waveguides

The analytical expressions of converted wave power for difference frequency generation (DFG), cascaded second-harmonic generation and difference frequency generation (cSHG/DFG) processes have been obtained under the non-depletion approximation in lossy waveguides. It is shown that the analytical results and the numerical simulation with depletion agree very well for lossy waveguides. Employing the analytical solutions, the formulas of optimized waveguide lengths in lossy waveguides are obtained for DFG and cSHG/DFG processes. After designing an AlGaAs quasi-phase-matched ridge waveguide, we investigate and compare the characteristics of the second-order nonlinear effects with and without waveguide loss, such as conversion efficiency, conversion bandwidth, pump wavelength tolerance and temperature stability in detail.     

Broadband quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation in MgO-doped periodically poled LiNbO_3 at the communications band

A novel scheme for broadband second-harmonic generation was developed with type I quasi phase matching by use of an off-digital nonlinear optical coefficient d(31) . This was achieved by matching of the group velocities of the second harmonic and the fundamental, while the phase velocities were quasi phase matched. The desired group-velocity dispersion could be obtained with LiNbO(3) doped with 5 mol. % of MgO. Efficient second-harmonic generation with a bandwidth of 52 nm was obtained for the fundamental wavelength centered at 1566 nm in MgO-doped periodically poled LiNbO(3) , compared with a bandwidth of 1.3 nm for the conventional scheme using d(33) . Efficient frequency doubling of an ultrafast pulse is expected without group-velocity walk-off or pulse distortion.     

Broadening of the phase-matching bandwidth in quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation using GaN-based Bragg reflection waveguide

We present an analysis of a high index core symmetric Bragg reflection waveguide (BRW) design based on a GaN/AlxGa1-xN system for efficient quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation for broadband applications. By choosing the fundamental frequency to be a BRW mode and suitably tailoring the overall dispersion characteristics, the strong dispersion of the second-harmonic mode is partially canceled, leading to phase matching between the fundamental and second-harmonic over a broad range of wavelengths. The crucial interplay between the dispersive behavior of the fundamental and second-harmonic wave manifests as a broad acceptance bandwidth of approximately 33 nm accompanied with appreciable conversion efficiency (22.8%/W) for a 10 mm long waveguide. The impact of tailoring the dispersion characteristics on the conversion efficiency is also discussed.     

内腔二次谐波过程中光场强度自脉冲振荡的增强

本文利用宏观非线性极化模型,分析了相干驱动内腔二次谐波过程中光场的动力学演化行为.发现了光场的一种新的动力学不稳定性.在此基础上,提出了一个增强光场强度自脉冲振荡的可能途径.     

Optical parametric oscillation in quasi-phase-matched GaAs

We demonstrate an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) based on GaAs. The OPO utilizes an all-epitaxially-grown orientation-patterned GaAs crystal that is 0.5 mm thick, 5 mm wide, and 11 mm long, with a domain reversal period of 61.2 microm. Tuning either the near-IR pump wavelength between 1.8 and 2 microm or the temperature of the GaAs crystal allows the mid-IR output to be tuned between 2.28 and 9.14 microm, which is limited only by the spectral range of the OPO mirrors. The pump threshold of the singly resonant OPO is 16 microJ for the 6-ns pump pulses, and the photon conversion slope efficiency reaches 54%. We also show experimentally the possibility of pump-polarization-independent frequency conversion in GaAs.     

Development of a quasi-phase-matched, second-harmonic generation periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide with an integrated electro-optical modulator

A novel type of waveguide quasi-phase-matched device with output electro-optical (EO) modulation is proposed and demonstrated. The second-harmonic generated output can be modulated with a high extinction ratio by integration of dual EO phase modulators on a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide. Blue and green coherent light with EO modulation was demonstrated, and wavelength dispersion of r33 is discussed.     

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.     

Cascaded second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation of a CO2 laser by use of a single quasi-phase-matched GaAs crystal

Cascaded second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation were used to obtain the third harmonic of a CO(2) laser in a single quasi-phase-matched GaAs crystal. Both continuous-wave and pulsed regimes with a single-pass configuration were studied. The continuous case confirmed the good capability of the GaAs stack to bear high average power density. In the pulsed regime a 0.66% peak power conversion efficiency was achieved for the third harmonic when the laser was pumping at 8.2 MW/cm(2) , in fair agreement with theoretical predictions.     

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.     

Theory of backward second-harmonic generation of short laser pulses in periodically and aperiodically poled nonlinear crystals

We study numerically and analytically the backward second-harmonic generation in periodically and aperiodically poled nonlinear crystals in the quasiphase-matched regime. In our numerical analysis, we apply the optimum control technique based on the shooting method. Due to the fast and efficient numerical technique, we are able to analyze this frequency-conversion process in detail, taking into account various factors ?C the pump intensity, group-velocity mismatch and dispersion, linear phase mismatch, and ??chirp?? of nonlinear grating. Also we derive several approximate solutions for the backward harmonic efficiency employed in the undepleted pump approximation.     

Spectral properties and quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation in a new active medium: optical superlattice Nd:MgO:LiNbO3

3 crystal – was grown in our Laboratory. The absorption and fluorescence spectra were measured and show some differences from the results of common Nd:MgO:LiNbO₃ with monodomain structure. Third-order quasi-phase-matched violet second-harmonic generation in the sample was demonstrated to characterize the quality of the crystal. The properties indicate that the periodically poled optical superlattice Nd:MgO:LiNbO₃ has great potential for constructing a blue or green light source through self-frequency-doubling operation using the maximum nonlinear optical coefficient d₃₃ of LiNbO₃ and the high-gain π polarization at the same time. Received: 22 August 1997/Revised version: 10 January 1998     

Spontaneous formation of symbiotic solitary waves in a backward quasi-phase-matched parametric oscillator

We show analytically the existence of nondegenerate symbiotic solitary waves in quadratic media with absorption losses. We study these new solitary waves in the particular case of a backward quasi-phase-matching configuration. Our numerical simulations reveal that, when it is used inside a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator, this configuration leads to the spontaneous formation of new solitary waves.     

IR-poled second-harmonic generation in glass

Infrared (IR)-induced second-harmonic generation in the chalcogenide glasses is observed. A phenomenological approach of IR picosecond non-linear optical (NLO) response in glass is developed for the middle IR spectral range (5–15 μm). The observed effect is explained within the framework of fifth-order NLO susceptibilities. A model that reproduces the basic characteristics of the experimental data, in which the optical non-linearities caused by photoinduced electron–phonon anharmonic interactions, is proposed. The role of the IR-induced phase matching conditions in the observed phenomenon is discussed.