Continuous-wave second-harmonic generation in the far-UVC pumped by a blue laser diode

Far-UVC light in the wavelength range of 200-230 nm has attracted renewed interest because of its safety for human exposure and effectiveness in inactivating pathogens. Here we present a compact solid-state far-UVC laser source based on second-harmonic generation (SHG) using a low-cost commercially-available blue laser diode pump. Leveraging the high intensity of light in a nanophotonic waveguide and heterogeneous integration, our approach achieves Cherenkov phase-matching across a bonded interface consisting of a silicon nitride (SiN) waveguide and a beta barium borate (BBO) nonlinear crystal. Through systematic investigations of waveguide dimensions and pump power, we analyze the dependencies of Cherenkov emission angle, conversion efficiency, and output power. Experimental results confirm the feasibility of generating far-UVC, paving the way for mass production in a compact form factor. This solid-state far-UVC laser source shows significant potential for applications in human-safe disinfection, non-line-of-sight free-space communication, and deep-UV Raman spectroscopy

Efficient and robust second-harmonic generation in thin-film lithium niobate using modal phase matching

A double-ridge waveguide is designed for efficient and robust second-harmonic generation (SHG) using the thin-film lithium-niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) platform. Perfect phase matching (PhM) is achieved between the fundamental waveguide mode at 1550 nm and a higher-order mode at the second harmonic. The fabrication tolerances of the PhM condition are simulated using a finite-difference method mode solver, and conversion efficiencies as high as 3.92/W are obtained for a 1-cm long waveguide. This design allows access to the largest element of the second-order nonlinear susceptibility tensor, and represents a scalable alternative to waveguides based on periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN). The design has the potential for generating pairs of entangled photons in the infrared C-band by spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC)