Second-harmonic generation from complementary split-ring resonators

We present experiments on second-harmonic generation from arrays of magnetic split-ring resonators and arrays of complementary split-ring resonators. In both cases, the fundamental resonance is excited by the incident femtosecond laser pulses under normal incidence, leading to comparably strong second-harmonic signals. These findings are discussed in terms of Babinet's principle and in terms of a recently developed microscopic classical theory that leads to good agreement regarding the relative and the absolute nonlinear signal strengths. The hydrodynamic convective contribution is found to be the dominant source of second-harmonic generation--in contrast to a previous assignment [Science 313, 502 (2006)].     

Second-harmonic generation from high-lying P-states of potassium

A strong second-harmonic signal has been measured by two-photon excitation of opposite parity states 4s²S → np²P⁰ of potassium (n=9 to 34) using a tunable dye laser. Polarization effects have been investigated. Comparison is made with the predictions of the ionization and collisional theoretical models.     

Second-harmonic generation at interfaces

Second-harmonic light can be generated at dye coated surfaces of fused silica. By changing either the angle of incidence or the frequency of the fundamental, phase matching of signals produced at the two surfaces of a plane-parallel plate has been achieved. The interaction of light from multiple internal reflections has also been studied.     

Second-harmonic generation from metal surfaces: Beyond jellium

The generation of Second-Harmonic (SH) radiation from simple metals has been the subject of numerous investigations for almost three decades. The use of clean metal surfaces in the experiments and increasingly sophisticated jellium-based theoretical models has led to a convergence on the magnitude and some of the dispersion characteristics of SH generation in free-electron metals like aluminum. However, the sensitivity of the SH-generation process to crystal symmetry, surface morphology, and surface electronic states indicates that nonlinear optical properties are influenced by processes which cannot be explained using a model based on an isotropic electron gas. Here, we review some recent experimental work indicating where deviation from jellium-based models occurs and attempts to understand these.Paper presented at the 129th WE-Heraeus-Seminar on Surface Studies by Nonlinear Laser Spectroscopies, Kassel, Germany, May 30 to June 1, 1994     

Second-harmonic generation of polarization singularities

Second-harmonic generation was studied theoretically for the vector singularities (daisy modes) of linearly polarized light and for the elliptic singularities (C points) of elliptically polarized light. Topological charge doubling for C points and daisy modes, similar to that found for vortices, was found. Unlike for vortices, however, it was found that for both C points and daisy modes the sign of the charge is reversed; for C points the photon spin or handedness (right or left) is also reversed; and for daisy modes the number of intensity petals is not doubled. These findings are all unexpected because neither charge nor spin nor orbital angular momentum is conserved for C points, whereas a daisy mode in which the number of intensity petals does not equal twice the magnitude of the charge is anomalous.     

Second-harmonic generation in centro-symmetric semiconductors

Summary The crystallographic dependence of optical-second-harmonic generation (SHG) in Si and Ge single crystals is obtained with 10 ps pulses at 527 nm and at incident fluences above the threshold for laser melting of the crystal lattice. We find that the experimentally observed dependence of SHG on crystal orientation remains unchanged up to the damage limit. Observed selection rules are analysed in terms of various possible contributions.

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Riassunto Generazione della seconda armonica ottica è ottenuta nei monocristalli di Si e Ge con impulsi laser di 10 ps, a 527 nm, e con densità di energia inpingente superiore all soglia per la fuzione del reticolo cristallino. Si osserva che la seconda armonica mantiene la propria dipendenza dall' orientazione cristallografica, indipendente dal valore della densità di energia che è incidente sulla superficie cristallina, fino alla soglia del danno. Il mutamento d'intensità di generazione a secondo orientazione cristallografica e piano di polarizzazione è stato analizzato in funzione di vari contributi probabili.

     

Second-harmonic generation with traveling-wave pulses

We experimentally studied properties of traveling-wave excitation and traveling-wave pulse compression for a Nd : glass laser system with a streak camera. These properties were extended to second-harmonic generation with a type-11 KDP crystal. We found that the second-harmonic pulse generated from the chirped-fundamental pulse also has a good chirp linearity, but the spectral bandwidth and temporal duration were reduced. We demonstrated the effective subpulse suppression in the compressed pulse with the second-harmonic generation. The pulse with tilted wave front, short wavelength and high contrast ratio can be obtained by the second-harmonic generation of traveling-wave pulse.     

Second-harmonic generation in vortex-induced waveguides

We study the second-harmonic generation and localization of light in a reconfigurable waveguide induced by an optical vortex soliton in a defocusing Kerr medium. We show that the vortex-induced waveguide greatly improves conversion efficiency from the fundamental to the second-harmonic field.     

Second-harmonic generation from simple metal surfaces and from adsorbed alkali monolayers

The nonlinear surface polarization which is primarily responsible for the surface sensitivity of optical second-harmonic generation, has recently been calculated for various simple metal surfaces and for thin adsorbed alkali overlayers. These calculations are based on the time-dependent density functional approach, i.e. the details of the ground state electron distribution at the surface as well as the self-consistent response to the applied electromagnetic field are fully taken into consideration. The nonlinear dipole moment of the induced surface charge exhibits characteristic spectral features which are closely related to corresponding features shown by the linear dipole moment.     

Second-harmonic generation circular dichroism spectroscopy from tripod-like chiral molecular films

The second-harmonic generation (SHG) circular dichroism in the light of reflection from chiral films of tripod-like chiral molecules is investigated.The expressions of the second-harmonic generation circular dichroism are derived from our presented three-coupled-oscillator model for the tripod-like chiral molecules.Spectral dependence of the circular dichroism of SHG from film surface composed of tripod-like chiral molecules is simulated numerically and analysed.Influence of chiral parameters on the second-harmonic generation circular dichroism spectrum in chiral films is studied.The result shows that the second-harmonic generation circular dichroism is a sensitive method of detecting chirality compared with the ordinary circular dichroism in linear optics.All of our work indicates that the classical molecular models are very effective to explain the second-harmonic generation circular dichroism of chiral molecular system.The classical molecular model theory can give us a clear physical picture and brings us very instructive information about the link between the molecular configuration and the nonlinear processes.     

Second-harmonic generation from a thin spherical layer and No-generation conditions

The dispersion of the electro-optical effect in polydisperse hydrosols of diamond is studied in the external field frequency ranging from 10 Hz to 2.5 MHz. The conservative dichroism, which is determined by the difference in the turbidity constants for light polarized along and perpendicular to the particle-orienting field, is chosen as the electro-optic effect. The dispersion dependences of the dichroism are determined and used to calculate the dispersion of the average values of the polarizability anisotropy of the diamond particles. The influence of the concentration of monovalent ions in an aqueous KCl solution on these dispersion dependences is studied. The experimental dependences of the dispersion are compared with the theoretical ones within the model of the polarizability of the colloidal particles which takes into account the polarizability of the diffuse part of their double electric layer.     

Second-harmonic generation from ellipsoidal silver nanoparticles embedded in silica glass

Second-harmonic generation of uniformly oriented, ellipsoidal silver nanoparticles in a glass matrix was observed and investigated as a function of incidence angle, light polarization, and spatial arrangement of the particles. The results can be explained by the symmetry of the spatial nanoparticle arrangement and by resonance enhancement that is due to the localized surface plasmons of the particles. Second-harmonic enhancement is observed only in sufficiently thin layers (deltakl < pi); on a sample with two separate layers, strong modulation owing to quasi-phase matching is obtained.     

Second-harmonic generation in GaAs-based quantum-cascade lasers

We report second-harmonic (SH) and sum-frequency generation in GaAs-based quantum-cascade lasers. A doping dependence study of the second-order susceptibility in one of the investigated structure is shown. We also demonstrate that grating-coupled surface emission is a highly efficient way to couple out the SH radiation.     

Second-harmonic generation in GaAs-based quantum-cascade lasers

We report second-harmonic (SH) and sum-frequency generation in GaAs-based quantum-cascade lasers. A doping dependence study of the second-order susceptibility in one of the investigated structure is shown. We also demonstrate that grating-coupled surface emission is a highly efficient way to couple out the SH radiation.     

Second-harmonic generation in graded metallic films

We study the effective second-harmonic generation (SHG) susceptibility in graded metallic films by invoking the local field effects exactly and further numerically demonstrate that graded metallic films can serve as a novel optical material for producing a broad structure in both the linear and the SHG response and an enhancement in the SHG signal.     

Second-harmonic generation with a high-index-clad waveguide

Theoretical and experimental analyses of second-harmonic generation (SHG) with a high-index-clad waveguide are reported. It was found that confinement of the propagation modes and the overlap between the fields of fundamental and second-harmonic waves could be increased in this waveguide. This structure was achieved in an x-cut MgO:LiNbO (3) quasi-phase-matched (QPM) waveguide by use of Nb(2)O(5) as a cladding layer. With the QPM SHG device, harmonic blue light of 5.5 mW at the 434-nm wavelength was generated with a normalized conversion efficiency of 1200%/W cm(2).