Influence of Al-doped ZnO and Ga-doped ZnO substrates on third harmonic generation of gold nanoparticles

•Au NP (5 nm, 10 nm, 20 nm, 30 nm) deposited on the AZO and GZO are synthesized.•Photoinduction by 532 nm laser beams leads to the enhancement of the THG•The maximum occurs at about 200 MW/cm2.

Principal role of substrate types on the nonlinear optical properties of Au NP was investigated. Third harmonic generation (THG) studies were carried out for Au NP deposited on the Al-doped ZnO (AuNP/AZO) and Ga-doped ZnO (AuNP/GZO) substrates at fundamental wavelength of 20 ns Er:glass laser (generating at 1540 nm wavelength) during photostimulation by the 532 nm 15 ns laser pulses. Sizes of Au NP were 5 nm, 10 nm, 20 nm, and 30 nm. The output signal was registered at 513 nm. The photoinduced power density was increased from 0 up to 800 MW/cm2. So in our work we explore the role of the substrate on the optically stimulated non-linear optical properties during simultaneous photo stimulation near the inter-band transition. The results were studied depending on the type of substrate and the sizes of the deposited nanoparticles. The analysis was done within a framework of interaction between the photoinduced light and SPR wavelengths. Control of the photoinduced temperature was done.

Graphical abstractTHG induced by 532 nm pulsed at 1540 nm fundamental GZO.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide