Nonlinear Optical Phenomena

Second Harmonic Generation

Introduction
Question:
Is it possible to change the color
of a monochromatic light?

Answer:

Not without a high intensity laser
light and a nonlinear optical
medium
output
N
L
O

s
a
m
p
l
e

input
2. The Essence of Nonlinear Optics
When the intensity of
the incident light into
a material increases
the response of
medium is no longer
linear
Input intensity
O
u
t
p
u
t

Response of an optical Medium
The response of an
optical medium to
the incident electro
magnetic field is the
induced dipole
moments inside the
medium

h
h
h
h

= q.r, where is the dipole moment, q the electric

charge and r is the charge separation
Polarization = Dipole moment per unit volume = n.,
where n = no. of dipoles in a unit volume
Linear & Nonlinear Susceptibility
The general form of polarization
Dipole moment per unit volume or polarization
Linear Polarization:
P = P
0
+.E
P
0
= Permanent polarization,
E = External Electric Field.
= Susceptibility
P = P
0
+
1
.E +
2
.E
2
+
3
.E
3
+
4
.E
4
+ --------

2, 3,--- are higher order susceptibility


Electric Field
P
o
l
a
r
i
z
a
t
i
o
n

Nonlinear Optical Interactions
The E-field of a laser beam


2
nd
order nonlinear polarization
C C Ee t E
t i
. ) (
~


P
2
= 2
2
E.E* +
2
E.E.e
-2it
+ C.C.

2
2

Second Harmonic Generation

2
nd
Order Nonlinearities
The incident optical field


Nonlinear polarization contains the following terms
. . ) (
~
2
1
2 1
C C e E e E t E
t i
t i

Radiation) (Original ) ( 2 ) 0 (
) Generation Fre. (Diff. 2 ) (
tion) Fre.Genera (Sum 2 ) (
) Generation Harmonic (Second ) 2 (
) Generation Harmonic (Second ) 2 (
*
2 2
*
1 1 2
*
2 1 2 2 1
2 1 2 2 1
2
2 2 2
2
1 2 1
E E E E P
E E P
E E P
E P
E P

2 1 3

Sum Frequency Generation
1

Application:
Tunable radiation in the
UV Spectral region.
Application:
The low frequency photon,
amplifies in the presence of high
frequency beam .
This is known as parametric
amplification.
3

2 1 3

Difference Frequency
Generation
1

Phase Matching

2
Since the optical (NLO) media are dispersive,
The fundamental and the harmonic signals have
different propagation speeds inside the media.

The harmonic signals generated at different points
interfere destructively with each other.
Second Harmonic Generation
Why does phase mismatching happen?
E(z)
E(z)
E(z)
z
z
z
t
1
t
2
t
3



2
2
2
Second Harmonic Generation
In an uniaxial crystal
n
e
and n
o
are indexes of
refraction for extraordinary
and ordinary rays, respectively
Phase matching conditions: =
0
and n
e(2w)
= n
0(w)


Optical Parametric Oscillators
An optical parametric oscillator (OPO): Difference Frequency Generation







Nonlinear medium (usually a crystal) converts the high energy photon (the pump
wave) into two lower energy photons (the signal and idler waves).


Energy conversion requires that :
pump energy (h
p
) = signal energy (h
s
) + idler energy(h
i
)

Exact wavelengths of the signal and idler are determined by the angle the pump
wave vector makes with respect to the crystal axis.

Energy can be transferred efficiently to the parametric waves if all three waves
are traveling at the same velocity (Phase matching).
The variation of refractive index with crystal angle and wavelength allows this
"phase matching condition to be met usually only for a single set of wavelengths
for a given crystal angle and pump wavelength.

Thus as the crystal rotates, different wavelengths of light are produced.

When the crystal is contained in a resonant cavity, feedback causes gain in the
parametric waves similar to a laser.
Thus, light output at the resonated wavelength occurs.
The cavity can either be singly resonant at either the signal or idler wavelength,
or it can be doubly resonant at both wavelengths.


Pump (
0
)
Signal (
1
)
Idler (
2
)
The OPO
is a coherent source of radiation
can be tuned over large domains of wavelength
can have a very low threshold
can have a very small linewidth