Abstract
Quasi-phase-matching is an important technique in nonlinear optics and is in widespread use. It not only makes efficient frequency conversion possible, but also enables diverse applications such as beam and pulse shaping, multi-harmonic generation, high harmonic generation, all-optical processing and the generation of entangled photons. However, since its introduction in the early 1960s at the dawn of nonlinear optics, quasi-phase-matching has always been considered a technique in which a purely spatial modulation mitigates the momentum mismatch that dispersion imposes on the interacting photons. Here, we present an important and fundamental generalization of quasi-phase-matching in which spatiotemporal nonlinear optical diffraction allows for correction of both momentum and energy mismatch. This concept provides a powerful tool for manipulating light through nonlinear interactions, and suggests unique applications. Recent experiments provide evidence for the feasibility and importance of spatiotemporal quasi-phase-matching.
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Change history
11 June 2010
In the version of this article initially published online, the figure legend was missing from Fig. 5. The error has been corrected for all versions of the article.
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Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Army Research Office and from the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center in EUV Science and Technology.
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A.B. conceived the idea. A.B., M.M.M. and H.C.K. developed the theory. A.B. performed the simulations. A.B., M.M.M. and H.C.K. wrote the paper.
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Bahabad, A., Murnane, M. & Kapteyn, H. Quasi-phase-matching of momentum and energy in nonlinear optical processes. Nature Photon 4, 570–575 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2010.122
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2010.122
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