Femtosecond superradiance in semiconductor lasers: anomalous internal second-harmonic generation

The emission of anomalously bright blue light under internal doubling of the frequency of femtosecond superradiance pulses in the active medium of semiconductor GaAs/AlGaAs laser heterostructures has been experimentally found. The efficiency of the internal second-harmonic generation is an order of magnitude higher than in the conventional lasing regime. This effect is due to the formation of a transient ordered state of electrons and holes under superradiance, occurrence of dynamic coherent population lattices, and periodic modulation of the nonlinear susceptibility of the medium.