An all-dielectric metasurface as a broadband optical frequency mixer

Liu S, Vabishchevich PP, Vaskin A, Reno JL, Keeler GA, Sinclair MB, Staude I, Brener I (2018)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 9

Article Number: 2507

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04944-9

Abstract

A frequency mixer is a nonlinear device that combines electromagnetic waves to create waves at new frequencies. Mixers are ubiquitous components in modern radio-frequency technology and microwave signal processing. The development of versatile frequency mixers for optical frequencies remains challenging: such devices generally rely on weak nonlinear optical processes and, thus, must satisfy phase-matching conditions. Here we utilize a GaAs-based dielectric metasurface to demonstrate an optical frequency mixer that concurrently generates eleven new frequencies spanning the ultraviolet to near-infrared. The even and odd order nonlinearities of GaAs enable our observation of second-harmonic, third-harmonic, and fourth-harmonic generation, sum-frequency generation, two-photon absorption-induced photoluminescence, four-wave mixing and six-wave mixing. The simultaneous occurrence of these seven nonlinear processes is assisted by the combined effects of strong intrinsic material nonlinearities, enhanced electromagnetic fields, and relaxed phase-matching requirements. Such ultracompact optical mixers may enable a plethora of applications in biology, chemistry, sensing, communications, and quantum optics.

Involved external institutions

Sandia National Laboratories US United States (USA) (US) Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Liu, S., Vabishchevich, P.P., Vaskin, A., Reno, J.L., Keeler, G.A., Sinclair, M.B.,... Brener, I. (2018). An all-dielectric metasurface as a broadband optical frequency mixer. Nature Communications, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04944-9

MLA:

Liu, Sheng, et al. "An all-dielectric metasurface as a broadband optical frequency mixer." Nature Communications 9.1 (2018).

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