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Nonlinear optics from the viewpoint of interaction time

Nature Photonics volume 17, pages 545–551 (2023)Cite this article

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In recent decades, progress in developing better nonlinear materials has not been as rapid as wished. Here I propose that this may be explained by considering the simple view of nonlinear optical phenomena as being determined mostly by the length of interaction time between photons and matter. Tentative routes towards improvements in the efficiency of nonlinear optical phenomena are suggested.

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Fig. 1: Equivalence of switching via refractive index modulation and measuring the change of the photon momentum.
Fig. 2: Optical nonlinearity is related to optical breakdown.
Fig. 3: Feynman diagram for third-order nonlinearity.

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Acknowledgements

The author appreciates support by the DARPA DSO NLM programme, and the encouragement and assistance of his co-workers P. Noir and S. Artois.

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  1. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Jacob B. Khurgin

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  1. Jacob B. Khurgin
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Correspondence to Jacob B. Khurgin.

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Khurgin, J.B. Nonlinear optics from the viewpoint of interaction time. Nat. Photon. 17, 545–551 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-023-01191-3

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