Intracavity and resonant external cavity laser frequency doubling using semiconductor heterostructures

Optical second-harmonic (SH) generation in nonlinear semiconductors can be used to convert infrared radiation from semiconductor laser sources to visible light. The high incident light intensities and spatial modulation of the linear and nonlinear optical properties occurring in AlxGa1-xAs vertical cavity heterostructures can lead to SH generation efficiencies many orders of magnitude larger than possible homogeneous GaAs. SH generation in vertical cavity heterostructures is analyzed using a model incorporating multilayer reflections and spatially varying nonlinear sources.