2ND-HARMONIC AND 3RD-HARMONIC GENERATION FROM OPTICALLY TRAPPED LIQUID-CRYSTAL DROPLET

Optical trapping of micrometer-sized nematic and ferroelectric liquid crystal droplets in water was found to induce second- and third-harmon ic generation. At high trapping laser power, an increase in the second -harmonic intensity over the predicted value was observed for both typ es of liquid crystal droplets. Size-dependent second-harmonic generati on was found only for ferroelectric liquid crystal droplets. Possible interpretations of the nonlinear effect on liquid crystal droplets wer e discussed.