Second Harmonic Generation in the Frequency Domain

Application ID: 24151


It is more difficult to generate laser emissions in the short-wavelength part of the visible and near visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum than in the long-wavelength part. Nonlinear frequency mixing makes it easier to generate new short wavelengths from existing laser wavelengths.

This tutorial model describes the second harmonic generation (SHG) process, where light at the fundamental frequency is passed through a crystal with nonlinear optical properties that generates light at the second harmonic frequency.

The tutorial model couples the physics from two Electromagnetic Waves, Frequency Domain interfaces — one for the fundamental wave and one for the second harmonic — by using the Domain Polarization feature for each interface.

Results show that energy is transferred from the fundamental to the second harmonic wave, causing the amplitude for the fundamental wave to decrease, whereas the amplitude for the second harmonic wave starts at zero and increases during the propagation through the crystal. These results are compared against the analytical solution from the slowly varying envelope approximation (SVEA).

This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products: