Directionally induced quasi-phase matching in homogeneous AlGaAs waveguides

We report on the experimental observation of quasi-phase matching in a homogeneous waveguide. By fabricating a monolithic snake-shaped suspended AlGaAs nanowire on a (001) GaAs wafer, we demonstrate the unraveled version of a χ⁽²⁾ whispering-gallery-mode microdisk, obtaining second-harmonic generation in the optical telecom wavelength range. With a radius of curvature of 50 μm and four spatial oscillations along the (110) average direction, a splitting of the second-harmonic spectrum occurs around the phase-matching wavelength of the corresponding straight waveguide. This splitting, which increases as the radius of curvature decreases, provides a useful degree of freedom for the design of small-footprint nonlinear photonic devices on-chip.