Nonlinear Optics in III-V Photonic Resonators

Date
2021-12
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Abstract
Nonlinear nanophotonics seeks to utilize the many useful nonlinear optical phenomena in integrated photonic devices. A particular field of interest is the use of resonant microcavities for nonlinear frequency generation in the telecommunication and visible ranges. The use of microresonator devices with high quality factors and small mode volumes allows for the considerable enhancement of nonlinear processes and high degrees of spatial overlap between resonator modes, leading to highly efficient conversion processes at low optical powers. Among the common photonic materials, the class of III-V semiconductor materials possess ideal properties for telecom-visible conversion, such as wide transparency windows leading to low absorption across these ranges, as well as large nonlinear electromagnetic susceptibilities. In addition, III-V materials with zincblende crystal structures allow for phase matched harmonic generation due to the crystal symmetry. In this work I study nonlinear harmonic generation processes in resonant microcavities made from gallium phosphide (GaP), a III-V semiconductor crystal with a zincblende structure. This study culminates in the simultaneous generation of second and third harmonic signals from a telecom pump in a GaP microdisk. Through resonance spectroscopy via a coupled fiber taper, we observe the generation of second and third harmonic signals at 778 and 519 nm from a 1557 nm telecom pump. Analysis of the resonant output power scaling and calculations of nonlinear inter-modal coupling factors via FDTD simulations allows us to attribute the signals to second harmonic and a cascaded sum frequency generation respectively. This work represents the first realization of efficient third harmonic generation in a GaP microresonator device.
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Keywords
Nanophotonics, Nonlinear Optics, Microresonator Photonics, III-V Semiconductors, Gallium Phosphide, Harmonic Generation, Second Harmonic Generation, Optical Resonators, Whispering Gallery Mode, Third Harmonic Generation, Cascaded Sum Frequency Generation
Citation
McLaughlin, B. (2021). Nonlinear optics in III-V photonic resonators (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.