Efficient second-harmonic generation of quasi-bound states in the continuum in lithium niobate thin film enhanced by Bloch surface waves

Abstract Nonlinear optics has generated a wide range of applications in the fields of optical communications, biomedicine, and materials science, with nonlinear conversion efficiency serving as a vital metric for its progress. However, the weak nonlinear response of materials, high optical loss, and inhomogeneous distribution of the light field hamper the improvement of the conversion efficiency. We present a composite grating waveguide structure integrated into a Bragg reflector platform. This design achieves high Q in the spectral range by exploiting the unique properties exhibited by the bound states in the Bloch surface wave-enhanced continuum, and efficient second-harmonic generation by close-field amplification with the optical field tightly localized in a nonlinear material. By manipulating the symmetry of the grating, a precise tune over the near field within a designated wavelength range can be achieved. Specifically, we select a photonic crystal configuration supporting surface waves, employing TE polarization conditions and an asymmetry factor of −0.1 between the composite gratings. This configuration resonates at a fundamental wavelength of 783.5 nm, exhibiting an impressive Q -factor of 10 6 . Notably, at an incident light intensity of 1.33 GW/cm 2 , we achieve a normalized electric field strength of up to 940 at the fundamental frequency and a second-harmonic conversion efficiency of up to 6 × 10 −3 , significantly amplifying the second-harmonic response. The proposed configuration in this investigation has the potential to be integrated into the field of nonlinear optics for sensing frequency conversion applications.