Abstract

Second harmonic generation (SHG) has been produced in waveguiding films of doped silica. The film was prepared by simultaneous illumination at 1064 and 532 nm radiation by using a prism coupling technique. Subsequent illumination by 1064 nm irradiation produced 532 nm radiation. The intensity of the film-generated 532 nm grew as a function of time until it saturated with an efficiency of about 1 %. Film-generated SHG produced by p-polarized 1064 nm incident light grew an order of magnitude faster than that produced by s-polarized light. The saturated SHG intensities for these input polarizations also differed by an order of magnitude. SHG could be produced only from specific modes of the waveguiding film. This technique allows direct observation and interaction of the spatial modulation of the index of refraction within the waveguide. Connections of this work with harmonic generation in doped silica fibers will be made.

© 1992 Optical Society of America