Laser nanoprinting of 3D nonlinear holograms beyond 25000 pixels-per-inch for inter-wavelength-band information processing

Abstract

Nonlinear optics provides a means to bridge between different electromagnetic frequencies, enabling communication between visible, infrared, and terahertz bands through chi(2) and higher-order nonlinear optical processes. However, precisely modulating nonlinear optical waves in 3D space remains a significant challenge, severely limiting the ability to directly manipulate optical information across different wavelength bands. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a three-dimensional (3D) chi(2)-super-pixel hologram with nanometer resolution in lithium niobate crystals, capable of performing advanced processing tasks. In our design, each pixel consists of properly arranged nanodomain structures capable of completely and dynamically manipulating the complex-amplitude of nonlinear waves. Fabricated by femtosecond laser writing, the nonlinear hologram features a pixel diameter of 500 nm and a pixel density of approximately 25000 pixels-per-inch (PPI), reaching far beyond the state of the art. In our experiments, we successfully demonstrate the novel functions of the hologram to process near-infrared (NIR) information at visible wavelengths, including dynamic 3D nonlinear holographic imaging and frequency-up-converted image recognition. Our scheme provides a promising nano-optic platform for high-capacity optical storage and multi-functional information processing across different wavelength ranges.By using femtosecond laser writing technique, the research group in Nanjing University has fabricated 3D nano-resolution nonlinear holograms in lithium niobate crystals, which is capable of processing optical information across the wavelength gaps.