arXiv subjects

Michael Scalora

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Scalora.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Nonlinear Self-Action across Temporal Regimes in Resonant Dielectric Metasurfaces

Quasi-bound states in the continuum (qBICs) enable exceptional field confinement, strongly reducing the pump intensity threshold for nonlinear light-matter interaction in dielectric metasurfaces. As a result, nonlinear self-action effects, often elusive in bulk nonlinear media, emerge at moderate excitation intensities. Here, nonlinear self-action in resonantly enhanced third-harmonic (TH) generation from a dielectric metasurface supporting a qBIC resonance is investigated across distinct temporal excitation regimes. These regimes establish different coupling conditions between the excitation and the resonant mode, causing the same nonlinear self-action to emerge through complementary intensity-dependent signatures. Under spectrally narrow picosecond excitation, resonance-enhanced TH generation shows pronounced deviations from cubic scaling at high intensities. In contrast, broadband femtosecond excitation transiently drives the resonance, encoding the nonlinear response in the spectral reshaping and broadening of the TH signal. Simulations reproduce both regimes: continuous-wave modeling captures picosecond power scaling and the role of higher-order nonlinear susceptibilities, while time-domain simulations resolve femtosecond dynamics. These results clarify how pulse duration, bandwidth, and resonant coupling determine the observable signatures of nonlinear self-action in resonant dielectric metasurfaces, linking field confinement to conversion efficiency, power-law scaling, and ultrafast spectral dynamics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

Single-pump hybrid nonlinearities in transparent conductors

Low-index transparent conducting oxides have attracted significant attention because ultrafast optical excitation in these materials can induce exceptionally large temporal index gradients. Due to this remarkable nonlinear optical behaviour, this material platform enables sub-picosecond, all-optical control of photon energy and momentum, with growing relevance for integrated photonics, quantum optics, and optical computation. Owing to their hybrid electronic structure, transparent conductors exhibit both intraband and interband nonlinearities, previously accessed using dual-colour excitation with near-infrared and ultraviolet pumps. Here, we show that both excitation regimes can be activated using a single, intense near-infrared pump. Above a threshold intensity, the pump drives hot-electron intraband dynamics while simultaneously generating higher harmonics that trigger interband excitation. The interplay of these two effects sharpens the temporal features of the recorded transmissivity which in turn substantially broadens the effective material bandwidth. Finally, by comparing linear and circular pumping conditions, we further demonstrate that the observed interband nonlinearities originate from harmonic generation rather than from direct multiphoton absorption. Our results provide key insights into the strong-field optical response in these time-varying photonic materials, opening new frontiers for the ultra-fast manipulation of photons in both classic and quantum regimes.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

Polarization-Sensitive Third Harmonic Generation in resonant silicon nitride Metasurfaces for deep-UV Emission

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of enhanced third-harmonic generation (THG) in silicon nitride metasurfaces. These structures exhibit strong resonant nonlinear responses, enabling up to two orders of magnitude enhancement in THG compared to a flat silicon nitride etalon, driven by strong electromagnetic field localization. We investigate two polarization-selective metasurface geometries supporting transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) resonances, implemented in fully planar architecture. When driven by ultrafast near-infrared laser pulses, these resonances confine optical energy at the nanoscale, enabling efficient frequency up-conversion from the visible to the ultraviolet (UV) and deep-UV spectral regions. Through spectral mapping of the nonlinear response under both TE and TM excitation, we quantify field confinement, extract the effective nonlinear enhancement, and characterize the spectral dependence of the third-harmonic generation efficiency. This two-dimensional periodic platform provides a flexible design toolbox for engineering polarization-dependent UV and deep-UV light sources. More broadly, our results demonstrate that silicon nitride, a CMOS-compatible dielectric, can support efficient nonlinear up-conversion deep into the UV. This finding shows that access to short-wavelength nonlinear photonics does not require complex materials or architectures, but can instead be achieved using widely available dielectrics through careful structural design.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Gold-polymer hybrid metasurface for polarization-independent enhanced third harmonic generation in the ultraviolet

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of nonlinear light-matter interactions in a three-dimensional gold-polymer hybrid metasurface. In contrast to conventional two-dimensional designs, which by symmetry may support either transverse electric (TE) or transverse magnetic (TM) polarization, our volumetric architecture accepts both TE and TM modes simultaneously, reflecting the dimensionality and versatility required by the photonic devices. The metasurface comprises a periodic lattice of gold nanostructures embedded in a dielectric polymer matrix, creating complex metal-dielectric interfaces that sustain tightly confined plasmonic resonances. When driven by ultrafast near-infrared pulses, these resonances concentrate optical energy at the nanoscale, enabling efficient third-harmonic generation and upconversion of visible light into the ultraviolet (UV) and deep-UV regimes with enhanced conversion efficiency. We perform spatial and temporal mapping of the nonlinear response under both TE and TM excitation. Our measurements reveal polarization-agnostic field enhancement and spectral tunability arising from the three-dimensional morphology-capabilities unattainable in planar metasurfaces, where two-dimensional symmetry inherently limits polarization flexibility and functional bandwidth. This 3D platform provides a flexible design toolbox for polarization-independent UV and deep-UV light sources. Potential applications include high-resolution UV spectroscopy, optical multiplexing, data storage, and emerging quantum photonic architectures. By establishing fundamental insights into three-dimensional nonlinear metasurface behavior, our work paves the way for next-generation reconfigurable, multi-polarization nanophotonic devices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Third Harmonic Generation in Transparent Longitudinal Epsilon-Near-Zero Multilayers

Epsilon near zero (ENZ) materials can dramatically enhance local optical fields, enabling nonlinear interactions at relatively low intensities. Yet, near their plasma frequency, conventional isotropic ENZ media remain highly absorptive, limiting nonlinear operations that require good transparency. Longitudinal epsilon near zero metamaterials (LENZ), characterized by a vanishing permittivity along the optical axis provide an exceptional platform for field enhancement while mitigating absorption losses and impedance mismatch. We experimentally show that a Si and ITO multilayer engineered for a LENZ resonance in the near-infrared enables broadband, high pump transmission while still harnessing ENZ enhanced nonlinearity to generate a strong third harmonic signal. This demonstrates that efficient nonlinear processes can be driven without the high-loss conditions typical of isotropic ENZ media and regardless of intrinsic absorption at the harmonic frequency. The resulting third harmonic efficiency is comparable to isotropic ENZ films but without the absorption-induced heating constraints of ENZ operation. The high pump transmission enables transparent LENZ (TLENZ) stacks to be integrated into optical cavities, where resonant field buildup could amplify the nonlinear response without compromising thermal management. These results establish TLENZ multilayers as a robust, versatile platform for transparent, field enhanced nonlinear nanophotonics, combining strong light matter interaction with low-loss operation.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Optical Spin Effects Induced by Phase Conjugation at a Space-Time Interface

Electromagnetic temporal boundaries, emerging when the constitutive parameters of a medium undergo abrupt temporal variations, have garnered significant interest for their role in facilitating unconventional wave phenomena and enabling sophisticated field manipulations. A key manifestation is temporal reflection in an unbounded spatial domain, where a sudden temporal discontinuity induces phase-conjugated backward waves alongside anomalous spin conversion. This study explores distinctive spin-conversion dynamics at a time-dependent spatial interface governed by Lorentz-type dispersion, in which the plasma frequency undergoes rapid modulation over time. The interaction of a circularly polarized wave with a space-time interface excites electromagnetic signals at the system's natural resonance, allowing precise control over polarization states. The scattered field stems from the combined influence of temporal and spatial boundaries, yielding a superposition of the original incident wave's polarization and its phase-conjugated counterpart.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Spatio-Temporal Photonic Metalattice

When coherent light interacts with an ordered lattice whose periodicity is comparable to its wavelength, constructive interference produces a diffraction pattern as in crystallography, where x-rays are employed to reveal atomic structures. By asking 'when' the diffractive object exist, rather than 'where', we implicitly introduce time as a design parameter, thus enabling the creation of spatio-temporal metalattices. In these structures, temporal modulation of optical properties complements the spatial patterning, unlocking advanced functionalities such as dynamic reconfigurability, nonreciprocal behavior, coherent amplification, and tailored spectral response. However, for these effects to be relevant an extreme temporal modulation of the refractive index is necessary. In this work, we realize a two-dimensional spatio-temporal metalattice by integrating a physically patterned spatial modulation with an orthogonal temporal lattice induced by interfering ultrafast pulses, using highly nonlinear, low-index transparent conducting films. While the optical pumps experience a uniform medium, the lattice emerges through a strongly enhanced and internally generated third harmonic signal. The transient lattice shows comparable diffraction efficiency to the physical structure and is also dynamically reconfigurable via a broad range of parameters, including pump pulse delay, incidence angle, and wavelength, offering exceptional versatility for ultra-fast transient lithography and photon manipulation in both momentum and frequency. This approach shifts device design from fixed fabrication constraints to radiation engineering, opening new pathways towards ultrafast reconfigurable photonics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

All-optical polarization control in time-varying low-index films via plasma symmetry breaking

Controlling the polarization state of light with sub-picosecond speed and subwavelength precision remains a key challenge for next-generation nanophotonic devices. Conventional methods such as birefringent crystals, liquid crystals, or electro-optic Pockels cells are limited in speed, compactness, and energy efficiency. While structured materials and two-dimensional heterostructures offer potential for on-chip ultrafast performance, achieving all-optical control remains an open problem. Here we introduce an all-optical scheme that employs femtosecond pumping of low-index, subwavelength isotropic films to achieve ultrafast control over birefringence, dichroism, and optical activity within a single material platform. When the material is probed near its crossover wavelength, linearly polarized pumping induces a transient phase retardation up to 0.1{\pi} per micrometer, accompanied by a dichroic absorption ratio of approximately twenty. Under circularly polarized excitation, the probe experiences nonreciprocal optical activity, leading to polarization rotation of about 1.1 degrees per micrometer. A universal hydrodynamic model quantitatively reproduces these effects and attributes them to pump-induced symmetry breaking in the photoexcited carrier plasma. This symmetry breaking enables coupling between orthogonal probe polarization components, mediated by a modified time-dependent damping term, which connects to the inverse Faraday effect induced by a circularly polarized pump. Our combined experimental and theoretical study establishes a reconfigurable, deep-subwavelength polarization-control mechanism operating on sub-picosecond timescales, suitable for compact ultrafast modulators, dynamic metasurfaces, and tunable nonreciprocal photonic devices, with implications for quantum optics, ultrafast logic, and time-resolved sensing.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Nonlinear Nonlocal Metasurface for Harmonic Generation and Manipulation

The discovery of second harmonic generation in 1961 marked the birth of nonlinear optics, unlocking a range of applications from frequency conversion to quantum light generation. Yet, phase matching in bulk nonlinear crystals remains a key bottleneck. Thinning nonlinear media eases this constraint but severely reduces nonlinear efficiency due to limited interaction length. Photonic metasurfaces, planar arrays of subwavelength meta atoms, offer a compelling alternative by supporting resonant modes that enhance local fields. However, existing designs suffer from a trade off between the high efficiency of nonlocal metasurfaces and the precise wavefront control enabled by local ones. These two capabilities have remained decoupled due to their fundamentally different mechanisms. Here, we design a nonlinear nonlocal metasurface supporting quasi trapped modes (QTM), enabling efficient third harmonic generation and meta atom level phase manipulation. Using topologically asymmetric all-dielectric meta-atoms, we achieve strong field confinement and demonstrate THG enhancement exceeding three orders of magnitude compared to unstructured films. By exploiting symmetry and Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase via meta atom rotation, we realize helicity dependent wavefront control at both the fundamental and TH wavelengths. A slight boundary perturbation yields geometric phase accumulation only at resonance, a behavior absent in conventional PB based metasurfaces. This selectivity arises from QTM field profiles that maintain global symmetry off resonance while enabling local geometric phase encoding at resonance. Our results advance silicon photonics and reveal new mechanisms for nonlinear geometric phase control at the nanoscale.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Unconventional high-harmonic generation in resonant membrane metasurfaces

High-harmonic generation (HHG) in solids has rapidly emerged as a promising platform for creating compact attosecond sources and probing ultrafast electron dynamics. Resonant metasurfaces are essential for enhancement of the otherwise small harmonic generation efficiency through local field enhancement and are essential to circumvent the need of phase matching constraints. Until now, the metasurface-enhanced HHG was believed to follow the conventional integer-power scaling laws that hold for non-resonant bulk HHG. Here, we discover that highly resonant metasurfaces driven by quasi-bound states in the continuum break this principle, manifesting non-integer intensity dependencies of the generated harmonic powers. We show experimentally and theoretically that these unconventional nonlinearities arise from the high-Q resonances that generate local fields strong enough to substantially alter the contribution of higher order susceptibility tensors to the effective nonlinearities of the system. Our findings reveal how harmonic generation rooted in resonant field-driven modification of effective nonlinear susceptibilities can reshape our understanding of light-matter interaction at the nanoscale.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Harnessing the natural resonances of time-varying dispersive interfaces

Space-time modulation of electromagnetic parameters offers novel exciting possibilities for advanced field manipulations. In this study, we explore wave scattering from a time-varying interface characterized by a Lorentz-type dispersion with a step-like temporal variation in its parameters. Our findings reveal a new process: an unconventional frequency generation at the natural resonances of the system. Remarkably, this phenomenon enables the coupling of propagating waves to evanescent ones, allowing the direct far-field excitation of surface-wave modes without the mediation of spatial gratings or prisms. These results suggest a novel strategy for designing compact and ultra-fast photonic devices, eliminating the necessity for subwavelength spatial structuring or prolonged temporal modulations.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Even-order optical harmonics generated from centrosymmetric-material metasurfaces

Generation of even-order optical harmonics requires noncentrosymmetric structures being conventionally observed in crystals lacking the center of inversion. In centrosymmetric systems, even-order harmonics may arise, e.g., at surfaces but such effects are usually very weak. Here we observe optical harmonics up to 4-th order generated under the normal incidence from centrosymmetric dielectric metasurfaces empowered by resonances. We design silicon metasurfaces supporting optical quasibound states in the continuum and guided-mode resonances, and demonstrate the enhancement of second-harmonic signals by over three orders of magnitude compared to nonresonant thin films. Under the optimal conditions, the brightness of the second harmonic approaches that of the third harmonic, and the 4th-order harmonic becomes detectable.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

ENZ materials and Anisotropy: Enhancing Nonlinear Optical Interactions at the Nanoscale in Metal/Conducting-Oxide Multilayer Stacks

Epsilon-near-zero materials are exceptional candidates for studying electrodynamics and nonlinear optical processes at the nanoscale. We demonstrate that by alternating a metal and a highly doped conducting-oxide, the epsilon-near-zero regime may be accessed resulting in an anisotropic, composite nanostructure that significantly enhances nonlinear interactions. Using two independent and different computation techniques we show that the structure can enhance the local field intensity by nearly two orders of magnitudes, in large part due to the onset of the effective anisotropy. The investigation of the multilayer nanostructure using a microscopic, hydrodynamic approach also sheds light on the roles of two competing contributions that are for the most part overlooked, but that can significantly modify linear and nonlinear responses of the structure: nonlocal effects, which blueshift the resulting resonance, and the hot electron nonlinearity, which redshifts the plasma frequency as the effective mass of free electrons increases as a function of incident power density. Finally, we show that, even in absence of second order bulk nonlinearity, second order nonlinear processes are also significantly enhanced by the layered structure.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

Electrodynamics of Conductive Oxides: Intensity-dependent anisotropy, reconstruction of the effective dielectric constant, and harmonic generation

We study electromagnetic pulse propagation in an indium tin oxide nanolayer in the linear and nonlinear regimes. We use the constitutive relations to reconstruct the effective dielectric constant of the medium, and show that nonlocal effects induce additional absorption resonances and anisotropic dielectric response: longitudinal and transverse effective dielectric functions are modulated differently along the propagation direction, and display different epsilon-near-zero crossing points with a discrepancy that increases with increasing intensity. We predict that hot carriers induce a dynamic redshift of the plasma frequency and a corresponding translation of the effective nonlinear dispersion curves that can be used to predict and quantify nonlinear refractive index changes as a function of incident laser peak power density. Our results suggest that large, nonlinear refractive index changes can occur without the need for epsilon-near-zero modes to couple with plasmonic resonators. At sufficiently large laser pulse intensities, we predict the onset of optical bistability, while the presence of additional pump absorption resonances that arise from longitudinal oscillations of the free electron gas give way to corresponding resonances in the second and third harmonic spectra. A realistic propagation model is key to unraveling the basic physical mechanisms that play a fundamental role in the dynamics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Study of second and third harmonic generation from an indium tin oxide nanolayer: influence of nonlocal effects and hot electrons

We report comparative experimental and theoretical studies of second and third harmonic generation from a 20nm-thick indium tin oxide layer in proximity of the epsilon-near-zero condition. Using a tunable OPA laser we record both spectral and angular dependence of the generated harmonic signals close to this particular point. In addition to the enhancement of the second harmonic efficiency close to the epsilon-near-zero wavelength, at oblique incidence third harmonic generation displays unusual behavior, predicted but not observed before. We implement a comprehensive, first-principles hydrodynamic approach able to simulate our experimental conditions. The model is unique, flexible, and able to capture all major physical mechanisms that drive the electrodynamic behavior of conductive oxide layers: nonlocal effects, which blueshift the epsilon-near-zero resonance by tens of nanometers; plasma frequency redshift due to variations of the effective mass of hot carriers; charge density distribution inside the layer, which determines nonlinear surface and magnetic interactions; and the nonlinearity of the background medium triggered by bound electrons. We show that by taking these contributions into account our theoretical predictions are in very good qualitative and quantitative agreement with our experimental results. We show that by taking these contributions into account our theoretical predictions are in very good qualitative and quantitative agreement with our experimental results. We expect that our results can be extended to other geometries where ENZ nonlinearity plays an important role.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2018

Harmonic Generation in Metal-Insulator and Metal-Insulator-Metal Nanostructures

We report that the second and third harmonic signal reductions with insulator film surface coverage over a gold substrate gives a measure of the electron density in the spill out volume of the insulator, which is dubbed metal insulator gap states. For metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures we observe enhancement saturation and quenching of the third harmonic efficiencies well above the efficiencies for metal-insulator (MI) samples. The measured optical harmonics of scattered light from MI and MIM systems are compared with detailed simulations of the nonlinear interactions including free electron spill out into the insulator, nonlocal and electron quantum tunneling effects. Gold coated substrates are covered with variable thin insulator film thicknesses using atomic layer deposition. Optical harmonics of light scattered from two insulator materials (ZnO and Al2O3) are measured in our experiments. Based on our simulations we conclude that the observed MIM signal enhancement effects are primarily due to nonlocal phenomena in an electron gas.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Viscoelastic optical nonlocality of low-loss epsilon-near-zero nanofilms

Optical nonlocalities are elusive and hardly observable in traditional plasmonic materials like noble and alkali metals. Here we report experimental observation of viscoelastic nonlocalities in the infrared optical response of doped cadmium-oxide, epsilon-near-zero nanofilms. The nonlocality is detectable thanks to the low damping rate of conduction electrons and the virtual absence of interband transitions at infrared wavelengths. We describe the motion of conduction electrons using a hydrodynamic model for a viscoelastic fluid, and find excellent agreement with experimental results. The electrons elasticity blue-shifts the infrared plasmonic resonance associated with the main epsilon-near-zero mode, and triggers the onset of higher-order resonances due to the excitation of electron-pressure modes above the bulk plasma frequency. We also provide evidence of the existence of nonlocal damping, i.e., viscosity, in the motion of optically-excited conduction electrons using a combination of spectroscopic ellipsometry data and predictions based on the viscoelastic hydrodynamic model.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2017

Surface Plasmon Excitation of Second Harmonic light: Emission and Absorption

We aim to clarify the role that absorption plays in nonlinear optical processes in a variety of metallic nanostructures and show how it relates to emission and conversion efficiency. We define a figure of merit that establishes the structure's ability to either favor or impede second harmonic generation. Our findings suggest that, despite the best efforts embarked upon to enhance local fields and light coupling via plasmon excitation, nearly always the absorbed harmonic energy far surpasses the harmonic energy emitted in the far field. Qualitative and quantitative understanding of absorption processes is crucial in the evaluation of practical designs of plasmonic nanostructures for the purpose of frequency mixing.

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