Tailoring directional scattering of second-harmonic generation from (111)-GaAs nanoantennas

Abstract

The group of zincblende III-V compound semiconductors, especially (100)-grown AlGaAs and GaAs, have recently been presented as promising materials for second harmonic generation (SHG) at the nanoscale. However, major obstacles to push the technology towards practical applications are the limited control over directionality of the SH emission and especially zero forward/backward radiation. In this work we provide both theoretically and experimentally a solution to these problems by presenting the first SHG nanoantennas made from (111)-GaAs embedded in a low index material. These nanoantennas show superior forward directionality compared to their (100)-counterparts. Most importantly, it is possible to manipulate the SHG radiation pattern of the nanoantennas by changing the pump polarization without affecting the linear properties and the total nonlinear conversion efficiency. Show more