Surface-emitting second-harmonic generation in AlGaAs/GaAs waveguides

We investigate the impact of waveguide properties on the performance of surface-emitting second-harmonic generation (SESHG) devices. Using multi-layer AlGaAs/GaAs ridge waveguides that are optimized for SESHG at fundamental wavelengths lambda(omega)-1060 and 1550 nm, we achieve nonlinear cross-sections among the highest reported so far. In these devices, characteristics of the guided fundamental wave strongly determine the SESHG performance: multiple reflections in the longitudinal direction affect the conversion efficiency while higher order lateral waveguide modes modify the SESHG farfield. Both effects are significant for applications of SESHG in integrated photonic circuits.