Condensed Matter Physics Seminar

Applications of quasi-phase-matching in semiconductor waveguides

CMP Seminar: Professor David Hutchings
University of Glasgow, Scotland

Time
Tue. May 15, 2007     12:30 PM     Stirling 261 (or 201)

Abstract

Quasi-phase-matching is a technique to maintain a coherent interaction between two modes which have different propagation constants by spatially patterning the medium. I will describe two current projects where we make use of this technique. The first is optical frequency conversion where we spatially pattern the second-order optical susceptibility by a process called quantum well intermixing. We demonstrate second-harmonic generation in superlattice waveguides and show how this technique could be used for near- and mid-IR generation using difference frequency or parametric generation with an integrated pump laser. Second, we demonstrate quasi-phase-matching of Faraday rotation and develop the related technology that would allow a waveguide optical isolator to be realised on the same semiconductor chip as the laser source.

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