Second harmonic generation and hyper-Rayleigh scattering in barium titanate for photonic applications

Abstract

The present proposal has a scientific research character with potential applications in photonic devices with predictable and controllable physical properties. Photonics is closely linked to non-linear optics, which studies processes resulting from the interaction of light with matter in the regime of high light intensities. In this context, we intend to carry out a systematic fundamental study at an experimental level focused on the non-linear optical properties of nanoparticles and thin films with a perovskite structure. Two purposes will be studied in this project, the first will be the synthesis and processing of nanoparticles and films with a perovskite structure of BaTiO3 (BT), aiming to optimize the intrinsic and extrinsic properties. The second will be dedicated to the application of different optical techniques for quantitative analysis of non-linear optical properties. Therefore, important and complementary spectroscopic and non-linear spectroscopy techniques will be used: X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), Z-scan and hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS, Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering). With the help of these techniques, it will be possible to obtain detailed information about the intrinsic and extrinsic properties, as well as information about their influence on the nonlinear optical properties of nanoparticles and BT thin films, contributing to the understanding of nonlinear photonics in perovskite structures. Therefore, the proposed project is in line with the global advance of research in the field of nonlinear photonics, a fundamental area for the generation of new technologies, also involving aspects of interest from a fundamental point of view. (AU)