Study of nonlinear optical phenomena in silicon nanowires

Abstract This work studies generation of second and third harmonics in arrays of vertically oriented silicon nanowires (SiNWs) encapsulated into a silicone membrane and separated from the growth substrate. The structures were produced by plasma-chemical etching of silicon substrate resulting in a formation of homogeneous arrays of SiNWs. Such SiNW-based membranes demonstrated efficient infrared-to-visible light conversion by generation of second and third harmonic signals visible by a naked eye. This study contributes to the development of technology of optical devices based on silicon and presents a new route for visualization of infrared radiation.