Quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation in AlGaAs waveguides with periodic domain inversion achieved by wafer-bonding

Quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation is observed in an AlGaAs waveguide. The AlGaAs waveguide is epitaxially grown on a template substrate where a periodic crystal domain inversion is achieved using wafer bonding and organometallic chemical vapor deposition. A scanning electron micrograph of the waveguide cross section reveals a distinct propagation of the crystal domain boundaries in the epitaxial growth direction. Second-harmonic generation measurements on a fabricated rib-loaded waveguide show a clear quadratic dependence of the second-harmonic power to the input fundamental power. The peak conversion efficiency is 4.9%/W whereas the theoretical value is 124%/W for an ideal waveguide with no loss and with equal domain dimensions. A significant increase in the conversion efficiency is expected with reduced scattering losses realized by improved epitaxial growth and fabrication processes.