Optical second harmonic generation from silicon with embedded silver nanostructures

We developed an ion beam based processing scheme to synthesize Ag nanoparticles embedded within Si. Such embedded Ag nanostructures are expected to significantly enhance second harmonic generation thus the Pockel's effect in Si owing to the electric dipoles possessed by Ag nanostructures and the strong electric field effects associated with surface plasmon excitation of Ag nanostructures. Preliminary work in this direction has revealed an interesting correlation between the enhancement of second harmonic generation and the Ag nanostructure size/shape. Such nanosystems are capable of enhancing second harmonic generation from Si for on-chip silicon modulator fabrication.