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Understanding Nonlinear Optics and Harmonics

Nonlinear optics describes how the polarization of a material responds nonlinearly to an electric field when that field is very strong. Franken et al. first observed this phenomenon in 1961 when they directed a ruby laser beam through a quartz crystal and detected ultraviolet light emerging, with a frequency twice that of the incident laser light. This effect, known as second harmonic generation, occurs because in a strong electric field the polarization of a material is no longer linearly proportional to the field but includes additional terms that depend on higher powers of the field. These higher order terms cause the polarization and emitted light to include frequencies that are integer multiples of the incident frequency, generating harmonic frequencies.

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Satish Ghelani
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9 views4 pages

Understanding Nonlinear Optics and Harmonics

Nonlinear optics describes how the polarization of a material responds nonlinearly to an electric field when that field is very strong. Franken et al. first observed this phenomenon in 1961 when they directed a ruby laser beam through a quartz crystal and detected ultraviolet light emerging, with a frequency twice that of the incident laser light. This effect, known as second harmonic generation, occurs because in a strong electric field the polarization of a material is no longer linearly proportional to the field but includes additional terms that depend on higher powers of the field. These higher order terms cause the polarization and emitted light to include frequencies that are integer multiples of the incident frequency, generating harmonic frequencies.

Uploaded by

Satish Ghelani
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Nonlinear optics

Introduction: The field strength of conventional light sources used before the advent of lasers, were much smaller than the field strengths of atomic and inter atomic fields. The field strength of atomic and inter atomic fields are of the order of 107 to 1010 V/cm, where as strength of conventional light would not exceed 103 V/cm. It is natural that the light wave with such a low intensity is not able to affect atomic fields to the extent of changing optical parameters. The high degree of coherence of the laser has made it possible to have high concentration of light power. It is now possible to generate 1 MW laser pulses. The electric field strength for this laser is 3x107 to 3x1010 V/m, which is within the range of atomic field. At such high fields, the relationship between the electric polarization P and the field strength E ceases to be linear and some interesting nonlinear effects come in to the existence. Que: Describe harmonic generation. Nonlinear properties in optical region have been demonstrated by the harmonic generation of light observed first time by Franken and coworkers in 1961. They observed UV light at twice the frequency of a ruby light =6493A0, when the light made t traverse a quartz crystal.

A simple scheme for this experiment is shown in fig.

A ruby laser beam =6493A0 with average power of the order of 10KW is focused on a quartz slab. The transmitted light then was passed through a filter which cuts off the red light and allows uv light to pass through. The emerging lght was incident on a photo cell. Radiation with wavelength = 3437 A0 and power of the order of 1mW was observed in the transmitted light. How these freq. changes take place????? A dielectric medium when placed in an electric field is polarized, if the medium does not have a transition at the freq. of the field. Each constituent molecule acts as a dipole, with a dipole moment Pi. The dipole moment vector per unit volume P is given by : P = Pi -----(1) ,where the summation is over the dipoles in a unit volume. The orienting effect of the external field on the molecular dipoles depends both on the properties of the medium and on the field strength. Thus we can write, P= 0E ------(2)

where is called the polarizability or dielectric susceptibility of the medium. This relation is valid for the field strengths of conventional sources. The quantity is a constant only in the sense of being independent of E; its magnitude is a function of the freq. With sufficiently intense laser radiation the relation (2) does not hold good and it has to be modified, P = 0 ( where
(1) (1)

E+

(2)

E+

(3)

E + ..) -------(3)
(2)

is the ; the coefficients

(3)

, define the

degree of nonlinearity and are known as nonlinear susceptibilities. If the field is low, (ordinary light) only first term of eq.(3) can be retained. It is for the reason that the prelaser optics is known as linear optics. Higher the value of the electric field, more significant become the higher order terms. Optical properties of a medium, such as dielectric permittivity, refractive index etc,which depends upon susceptibility, so they also become the function of field strength E, if it is sufficiently high. The medium of which the polarization is describe by a nonlinear relation of eq.(3) is called a nonlinear medium. Suppose now that the field incident on a medium has the form E =E0 cos t P = 0 + .
(1)

-------(4)

substituting this in eq. (3) + 0


(2)

E0 cos t

E0 cos t + 0

(3)

E0 cos t

Using the trigonometric relation , Cos 3 = (Cos 3 + 3Cos ) / 4 +


3/4
(3)

Cos 2 = (1 + Cos 2) / 2 P = 1/20


(2)

The above eq. can be rewritten as under, E0 2+ 0 (


(1)

E0 2) E0 cos t +

1/20

(2)

E0

cos 2t + 1/40

(3)

E0

cos 3t + ..

------

(5) The first term is a constant term. The second follows the external polarization and is called the first or fundamental harmonic of polorization; the third oscillates at freq. 2 and is called the second harmonic of polarization, the forth is called the third harmonic of polarization.

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