In this work, we summarize recent findings on ultrafast nonlinear and strong-field phenomena in silicon-loaded nanoplasmonic waveguides. Coupling ultrafast λ= 1:55 μm pulses into such structures gives rise to both high- efficiency third harmonic generation (THG) and ponderomotive electron acceleration. We show THG efficiencies of 2.3 ×10 5 in waveguides with an ultracompact footprint of 0.43 μm^-2, resulting in visible green light emission. Remarkably, broadband white light emission is observed as well. This phenomenon is found to originate from an electron avalanche induced by the ponderomotive acceleration of electrons generated via two photon absorption. Thus, this nanoplasmonic device presents a versatile platform for realizing ultrafast nonlinear phenomenon within all-optical circuitry.

Date Published: 23 February 2017
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 10102, Ultrafast Phenomena and Nanophotonics XXI, 1010208 (23 February 2017); doi: 10.1117/12.2251798

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10102:
Ultrafast Phenomena and Nanophotonics XXI
Markus Betz; Abdulhakem Y. Elezzabi, Editor(s)