Third-harmonic generation from a simple air-dielectric interface

Conference · Sun Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:437551

Tsang, T ^[1]

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1. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)

Although THG is dipole-allowed in the bulk of all dielectric media, at the interface between two different nonabsorbing media the THG is significantly enhanced. This phenomenon led us to introduce a necessary third-order surface nonlinear susceptibility {chi}{sub surface}{sup (3)} and raise concerns over many previously done experiments on bulk THG in transparent materials. Optical third-harmonic generation (THG) is dipole-allowed and is a universal property occurred in all centrosymmetry and noncentrosymmetry materials. But at the interface of two different media, THG becomes highly operative yielding significant THG photons when a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser oscillator is used. Although the THG photon conversion efficiency is lower than that of a typical phase-matched harmonic crystal, it is important to note that surface-enhanced optical THG is rather fundamental occurring at interface of all media free from the constraint of a phase-matching condition and wavelength restriction. Optical THG at an interface to a wavelength that is not achievable by any harmonic crystal is thus possible. These results may lead to a new development using surface THG on surface-enhanced studies and prompt one to re-examine the processes of high-harmonic generation at interfaces.

• OSTI ID: 437551
• Report Number(s): CONF-9509141-; TRN: 96:005697-0012
• Resource Relation: Conference: 11. interdisciplinary laser science conference: annual meeting of the American Physical Society`s Laser Science Topical Group, Portland, OR (United States), 10-15 Sep 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of 11th Interdisciplinary laser science conference; PB: 202 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
INTERFACES
HARMONIC GENERATION
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
AIR