Phase-matched optical second harmonic generation in a hyperbolic metamaterial based on silver nanorods

Abstract

Artificial hyperbolic metamaterials (HMM) are perspective for the nonlinear optical applications, their exciting functionality being due to the hyperbolic dispersion induced by a strong shape anisotropy. Here we study the second harmonic generation (SHG) in HMM formed by arrays of silver nanorods in anodic alumina. In the hyperbolic dispersion regime, giant SHG is observed associated with the fulfillment of the phase-matching conditions supported by the epsilon-near-pole resonance at the SHG wavelength, and an increase in the pump field in the epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) spectral range. We predict a strong increase in the SHG efficiency for metamaterials with the ENZ resonance at the second harmonic frequency.