Quasi-phase matching via femtosecond laser-induced domain inversion in lithium niobate waveguides.

We demonstrate an all-optical fabrication method of quasi-phase matching structures in lithium niobate (LiNbO3) waveguides using a tightly focused femtosecond near-infrared laser beam (wavelength of 800 nm). In contrast to other all-optical schemes that utilize a periodic lowering of the nonlinear coefficient χ(2) by material modification, here the illumination of femtosecond pulses directly reverses the sign of χ(2) through the process of ferroelectric domain inversion. The resulting quasi-phase matching structures, therefore, lead to more efficient nonlinear interactions. As an experimental demonstration, we fabricate a structure with the period of 2.74 μm to frequency double 815 nm light. A maximum conversion efficiency of 17.45% is obtained for a 10 mm long waveguide.