High-order harmonic generations in intense MIR fields by cascade three-wave mixing in a fractal-poled LiNbO 3 photonic crystal.

We report on the generation of harmonic-like photon upconversion in a LiNbO3-based nonlinear photonic crystal by mid-infrared (MIR) femtosecond laser pulses. We study below bandgap harmonics of various driver wavelengths, reaching up to the 11th order at 4 μm driver with 13% efficiency. We compare our results to numerical simulations based on two mechanisms: cascade three-wave mixing and non-perturbative harmonic generation, both of which include quasi-phase matching. The cascade model reproduces well the general features of the observed spectrum, including a plateau-like harmonic distribution and the observed efficiency. This has the potential for providing a source of tabletop few femtosecond ultraviolet pulses.