Contact poling of RKTP with silicon pillars

• Quasi-phase-matching (QPM) is a method to get tailored efficient second order nonlinear interactions [1]. Several techniques exist for fabrication of periodic domain structures in ferroelectric crystals for QPM frequency conversion. By far, electric field poling using lithographically patterned electrodes on the z-face of the crystal is the most common one [2]. High-quality periodically inverted ferroelectric domain structures in flux grown KTiOP 4 (KTP) crystals were fabricated already in the late 90's using this technique [3], and recently periodic domain sizes of few hundred nanometers were fabricated in 1 mm thick samples thanks to the quasi-one dimensional structure of KTP. It has recently also been shown that a slight Rb doping of the KTP crystal (RKTP) facilitates the periodic poling [4]. However, fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) domain structures in RKTP has not yet been investigated. A disadvantage with the lithographic patterning is that each sample needs to be patterned individually, which is tedious and time consuming. Moreover, when it comes to the small domain features, which are required by the next generation of nonlinear optical devices, a more versatile poling technique has to be developed due to the limitations of conventional photolithography. Structured silicon has been investigated as an alternative electrode for formation of 1D domains by contact poling in LiNb3 [5]. However, these electrodes were fabricated by wet etching and the sample thickness was limited to ∼200 μm.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Atom- och molekylfysik och optik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Crystal structure

Crystals

Electric fields

Electrodes

Fabrication

Periodic structures

Photolithography

Quantum electronics

Silicon

Fysik

Physics

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)