Second harmonic generation in the bulk of silicon induced by an electric field of a high power terahertz pulse

The experimental findings on the second harmonic generation (SHG) in centrosymmetric crystal silicon are reported. The SHG is induced by extremely high electric field (up to 15 MV/cm) parallel to the crystal surface of a short terahertz (THz) pulse while probing by an infrared femtosecond optical pulse. The SHG under such unique conditions is reported for the first time. At the electric field amplitude above 8 MV/cm, the quadratic dependence of the SHG yield integrated over the THz pulse duration on the electric field is violated and SHG yield is not changed with a further increase of the THz field. Saturation of SHG intensity at high electric fields is explained in terms of carrier density increase due to impact ionization and destructive interference of electric-field induced and current induced nonlinear polarizations.