A detailed computational study of the wavelength-dependent efficiency of optical second-harmonic generation in plasmonic nanostructures is presented. The computations are based on a discontinuous Galerkin Maxwell solver that utilizes a hydrodynamic material model to calculate the free-electron dynamics in metals without any further approximations. Besides wave-mixing effects, the material model thus contains the full nonlocal characteristics of the electromagnetic response, as well as intensity-dependent phenomena such as the Kerr effect. To be specific, two prototypical nanostructures are studied in depth with the help of two independent computer codes. For an infinitely long metal cylinder, it is found that the spectral position of linear particle plasmon modes (dipolar modes, higher-order modes, and, for frequencies above the plasma frequency also bulk plasmon modes) and their associated relative strengths for scattering and absorption both at the fundamental and second-harmonic wavelengths largely control the conversion efficiency. Notably, Fabry− Perot resonances associated with longitudinal bulk plasmons may be detectable via background-free second-harmonic spectroscopy. For a more complex V-groove nanostructure, it becomes possible to engineer a doubly resonant scenario at the fundamental and the second-harmonic wavelength. This leads to an efficient enhancement of second-harmonic emission. Our work thus demonstrates that the careful design of nanostructures on the nonlocal linear level facilitates highly efficient nanoantennas for second-harmonic emission with applications in background-free imaging and frequency conversion systems.

A combined analytical and numerical study of the modes in two distinct plasmonic nanowire systems is presented. The computations are based on a Discontinuous Galerkin Time-Domain approach and a fully nonlinear and nonlocal hydrodynamic Drude model for the metal is utilized. In the linear regime, these computations demonstrate the strong influence of nonlocality on the field distributions as well as on the scattering and absorption spectra. Based on these results, secondharmonic generation efficiencies are computed over a frequency range that covers all relevant modes of the linear spectra. In order to interprete the physical mechanisms that lead to corresponding field distributions, the associated linear quasi-electrostatic problem is solved analytically via conformal transformation techniques. This provides an intuitive classification of the linear excitations of the systems that is then applied to the full Maxwell case. Based on this classification, group theory facilitates the determination of the selection rules for the efficient excitation of modes, both in the linear and the nonlinear regime. This leads to significantly enhanced second-harmonic generation via judiciously exploiting the system symmetries. These results regarding the mode structure and second-harmonic generation are of direct relevance to other nano-antenna systems.

We study two-photon transport in a one-dimensional waveguide with a side-coupled two-level system. Depending on the momentum of the incoming photons, we find that the nature of the scattering process changes considerably. We further show that bunching behavior can be found in the scattered light. As a result, we find that the waveguide dispersion has a strong influence on the photon correlations. By modifying the momentum of the pulse, the nature of the correlations can therefore be altered or optimized.

This thesis is concerned with the theoretical description of nonlinear optical phenomena with regards to the (numerical) discontinuous Galerkin time-domain (DGTD) method. It deals with two different material models: the hydrodynamic model for metals and the model for Ramanactive dielectrics. In the first part, we review the hydrodynamic model for metals, where we apply a perturbative approach to the model. We use this approach to calculate the second-order nonlinear optical effects of second-harmonic generation and sum-frequency generation using the DGTD method. In this context, we will see how to optimize the second-order response of plasmonic nanoantennas by applying a deliberate tuning scheme for the optical excitations as well as by choosing an intelligent nanoantenna design. In the second part, we examine the material model for Raman-active dielectrics. In particular, we see how to derive the third-order nonlinear response by which one can describe the process of stimulated Raman scattering. We show how to incorporate this third-order response into the DGTD scheme yielding a novel set of auxiliary differential equations. Finally, we demonstrate the workings of the modified numerical scheme. ix Zusammenfassung Nichtlineare optische Phänomene im Rahmen des unstetigen Galerkin-Zeitraumverfahrens Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit der theoretischen Beschreibung nichtlinearer optischer Phänomene in Hinblick auf das (numerische) unstetige Galerkin-Zeitraumverfahren. Insbesondere werden zwei Materialmodelle behandelt: das hydrodynamische Modell für Metalle und das Modell für Raman-aktive Materialien. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wird das hydordynamische Modell für Metalle unter Verwendung eines störungstheoretischen Ansatzes behandelt. Insbesondere wird dieser Ansatz genutzt, um die nichtlinearen optischen Effekte, Erzeugung zweiter Harmonischer und Summenfrequenzerzeugung, mit Hilfe des unstetigen Galerkin-Verfahrens zu studieren. In diesem Zusammenhang wird demonstriert, wie das optische Signal zweiter Ordnung von Nanoantennen optimiert werden kann. Hierzu wird ein hier erarbeitetes Schema für die Abstimmung des eingestrahten Lichtes angewandt. Zudem führt eine intelligente Wahl des Antennendesigns zu einem optimierten Signal. Im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit wird das Modell für Raman-aktive Dielektrika behandelt. Genauer wird die nichtlineare Antwort dritter Ordnung für stimulierte Raman-Streuung hergeleitet. Diese wird dazu genutzt, um ein System aus Hilfsdifferentialgleichungen für das unstetige Galerkin-Verfahren zu konstruieren. Die Ergebnisse des erweiterten numerischen Verfahrens werden im Anschluss gezeigt und diskutiert.

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