Flat nonlinear optics with intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces

Krakofsky, Jonas H.; Sarma, Raktim; Brener, Igal; Alù, Andrea; Lee, Jongwon; Belkin, Mikhail A.

doi:10.1515/nanoph-2024-0742

Flat nonlinear optics with intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces

Journal Article · Fri Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Nanophotonics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2024-0742· OSTI ID:2584331

Krakofsky, Jonas H. ^[1]; Sarma, Raktim ^[2]; Brener, Igal ^[2]; Alù, Andrea ^[3]; ^[4]; ^[1]

Technische Univ. München, Garching (Germany)
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies
City Univ. of New York (CUNY), NY (United States)
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

Nonlinear intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces produce some of the strongest second- and third-order nonlinear optical responses reported for condensed matter systems at infrared frequencies. These metasurfaces are fabricated as two-dimensional arrays of nanoresonators from multi-quantum-well semiconductor heterostructures, designed to produce strong nonlinear responses associated with intersubband transitions. By optimally coupling the optical modes of the nanoresonators to vertically polarized intersubband transitions in semiconductor heterostructures, one can boost the nonlinear response associated with intersubband transitions, make intersubband transitions interact with free-space radiation at normal incidence, and hence produce optically thin flat nonlinear optical elements compatible with free-space optical setups. As a result of the strong nonlinear response in these systems, significant nonlinear conversion efficiencies (>0.1 %) can be attained in deeply subwavelength optical films using modest pumping intensities of only 10–100 kW/cm². Subwavelength metasurface thickness relaxes phase-matching constraints limiting the operation of bulk nonlinear crystals. Furthermore, the amplitude and phase of the nonlinear optical response in intersubband polaritonic metasurfaces can be tailored for a specific pump wavelength and a nonlinear process of interest through the co-optimization of quantum engineering of electron states in semiconductor heterostructures and photonic engineering of the metasurface nanoresonators design. Additionally, an applied voltage can dynamically control the amplitude and phase of the nonlinear optical response at a nanoresonator level. Here, we review the current state of the art in this rapidly expanding field, focusing on nonlinear processes supporting second-harmonic generation, saturable absorption, and optical power limiting.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division (MSE)

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 2584331

Journal Information:: Nanophotonics, Journal Name: Nanophotonics; ISSN 2192-8606; ISSN 2192-8614

Publisher:: de GruyterCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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