Enhanced third harmonic generation using the surface states of light in periodic photonic structures

Abstract

Third harmonic generation enhancement in periodic photonic structures was experimentally observed and theoretically interpreted. Nonlinear optical effects in opal globular photonic crystals (PC) have been studied under the femtosecond laser pumping. Strong dependence of the third harmonic generation efficiency on the ratio between the central pumping wavelength and the spectral location of the PC band gaps was found. Numerical simulations based on the finite difference time-domain technique for the solution of the Maxwell's equations were applied for investigations of the observed phenomenon origin. The simulation results have shown that the origin of the efficient nonlinear conversion is related with the surface state of electromagnetic field in PC. Interacting with the PC surface the light wavefront distorts coherently, and the effect of structure light focusing appears. Coherent wavefront distortion leads to the strong optical field localization, hence the light intensity within the certain PC regions increases. In case of the band gap pumping dramatic light redistribution appears; very sharp peaks of light intensity emerge in the region of the quartz globules, which leads to the high-efficient PC pumping.