Magnetic Field Effects in Optical Harmonics Generation by Excitons

Mechanisms that are responsible for the optical harmonics generation at exciton transitions are analyzed in several classes of materials. In the cubic GaAs semiconductor, the magneto-induced optical second-harmonic generation second optical harmonic is observed in the region of orbital quantization of the valence and conduction bands. An unusually strong amplitude of the optical third-harmonic generation in an external magnetic field in the region of 1s exciton due to exciton–polariton resonance is found. The optical second-harmonic generation due to 1s, 2s, and 2p exciton resonances in a magnetic field is revealed in a hexagonal wide band-gap ZnO semiconductor. Depending on the symmetry of the exciton states, the mechanisms of the optical second-harmonic generation involve the spin and orbital Zeeman effects, and the magneto-Stark effect. The magneto-induced contribution to second harmonic generation (SHG) in the region of exciton transitions in the Cr2O3 antiferromagnet placed in an external magnetic field is studied.