Nonlinear optics is the branch of optics that describes the behaviour of light in nonlinear media, that is, media in which the polarization P responds nonlinearly to the electric field E of the light.

Nonlinear optics gives rise to a host of optical phenomena:

  • Second harmonic generation (SHG)
  • Third harmonic generation (THG)
  • Parametric frequency mixing and amplification
  • Phase conjugation
  • Pockels effect
  • Acousto-optics
  • Optical Kerr effect (intensity dependent refractive index)
    • Self focusing
    • Self phase modulation (SPM)
  • Brillouin scattering
  • Raman scattering

(work in progress) - DrBob