Effect of optical activity and crystal symmetry on maximal diffraction efficiency of reflection holograms in cubic photorefractive piezocrystals

The dependence of the maximal diffraction efficiency of a volume reflection hologram recorded in a cubic optically active photorefractive piezocrystal on the crystal thickness is investigated. The theoretical analysis is fulfilled on the basis of the coupled wave equations in a static grating approximation taking into account the linear electro-optic, inverse piezoelectric, and photoelastic effects. The optimal cuts of the crystals with various thickness for which the maximal diffraction efficiency of the reflection hologram can be attained are determined. It is shown that the optical activity of the crystal is responsible for a variety of the optimal cuts corresponding to different crystal thicknesses. Effect of the crystal on the dependence of the maximal diffraction efficiency of the reflection hologram on a crystal cut is discussed.     

Experimental study of the angular selectivity of volume phase holograms stored in LiNbO3

Changes in the angular Bragg selectivity of volume holograms stored in photorefractive LiNbO₃ are analysed for different experimental conditions in the transmission geometry. The effects of the refractive-index-change amplitude, the grating period, the modulation depth, and the wave-front modulation of the signal beam are considered. A very good agreement of the results with the off-Bragg diffraction theory is observed.     

Diffraction efficiency and energy transfer during hologram formation in reduced KNbO3

Volume phase-hologram formation by the photorefractive effect in KNbO₃ is accompanied by a stationary energy transfer between writing beams. The change in energy transfer by applying an electric field on the reduced crystals is shown to be due to an efficient increase in migration length which can reach values comparable or larger than the fringe spacing. It is demonstrated that photovoltaic contribution to the diffraction efficiency and energy transfer is rather small in reduced KNbO₃ and that diffusion of photogenerated free holes is the dominant charge transport for the photorefractive effect in unbiased crystals. The experimental results for diffraction efficiency and energy transfer as a function of grating spacing, electric field, light intensity and temperature is well described by a recent theory of Kukhtarev and Vinetskii.     

Detection of higher nonlinear harmonics of volume photorefractive gratings in reflection geometry

A comprehensive technique has been used to detect diffraction from the second and the third nonlinear spatial harmonic components, along with the fundamental harmonic of volume photorefractive gratings recorded in a channel waveguide in a LiNbO₃ substrate. For the first time to our knowledge, efficient diffraction from the higher spatial harmonic components of a photorefractive grating has been detected in reflection geometry. The dependence of a Bragg wavelength shift on the order of nonlinearity is also reported.     

Ce:KNSBN光折变晶体光栅衍射特性研究

研究了Ce:KNSBN光折变晶体两波耦合作用写入体光栅的衍射效率与写入光偏振态和光强比的关系, 分析了写入光偏振态造成光栅衍射效率差别的原因, 并用修正耦合波理论对实验结果进行了拟合。 实验结果为Ce:KNSBN晶体在全息记录和光学信息处理领域的应用提供了依据。     

Pulse shaping and diffraction properties of multi-layers reflection volume holographic gratings

The multi-layers coupled-wave theory is extended to systematically investigate the pulse shaping and diffraction properties of a system of multi-layers reflection volume holographic gratings (MRVHG) under ultrashort laser pulse (ULP) readout. The combined effects that the grating parameters such as the number and thickness of layers and gaps between them and the pulse duration of the input ULP have on the pulse shaping properties are considered. The pulse profiles of the diffracted and transmitted beams, the diffraction bandwidth, and the total diffraction efficiency are presented. The calculated results we have derived permit an optimal choice of grating parameters for the pulse shaping and process applications.     

Orthogonal geometry of wave interaction in a photorefractive crystal for linear phase demodulation

We present a novel configuration of an interferometer which is implemented by using vectorial wave mixing in the orthogonal geometry of wave interaction in a cubic photorefractive crystal, for the detection of small phase transients. The orthogonal geometry of wave interaction allows the linear regime of the phase-to-intensity transformation even when phase transients are encrypted in a depolarized wave without using any polarizing element. The use of a depolarized beam without a polarizing element strongly diminishes the noise level, thus increasing the sensitivity to phase transients.     

Photorefractive properties of (1-10) and (111)-cut sillenite crystals when external electric field is applied along the direction of the optimum diffraction efficiency

We study the influence of the application of an external electric field on the grating formed in (1-10) and (111)-cut photorefractive sillenite crystals. Optimum conditions for application of the bias field are examined, taking into account the shift of the grating orientation for maximum diffraction efficiency along the crystal depth. The contribution of the piezoelectric effect is considered both in the electro-optic tensor and space charge field calculations. An analysis on the diffractive properties under these optimum conditions shows an increase of 30% in maximum diffraction efficiency in Bi₁₂GeO₂₀, and experimental verification for this is provided. Received: 5 November 2001 / Revised version: 18 April 2002 / Published online: 8 August 2002     

Total internal reflection diffraction grating in conical mounting

The main conditions and parameters for obtaining surface relief total internal reflection diffraction gratings in conical mounting are presented. Calculated and experimental investigations reveal that there are ranges of grating periods, incidence angles, diffraction angles and gratings depths for which such gratings could be obtained, both for TE and TM polarizations. With optimized grating parameters the diffraction efficiency of the total internal reflection diffraction gratings can be greater than 90%.     

Effects of applied DC/AC fields in electrical fixing process with SBN:60

We present experimental investigations of electrical fixing techniques in Ce:SBN:60. The effect of crystal fatigue on the diffraction efficiency of electrically fixed photorefractive gratings is studied. We observed that applying an ac field to the crystal eliminated crystal fatigue and improved diffraction efficiency. A controllable diffraction efficiency of a photorefractive grating is presented. A reproducible diffraction efficiency of up to 75% is obtained using a write-reveal grating technique with high-voltage pulses of opposite polarity. We also show that the diffraction efficiency can be controlled by varying the intensity of the writing beams incident to the crystal during the recording process. A method of determining the hysteresis loop using the domain-fixing technique is proposed. The dependence of the diffraction efficiency on the direction of the applied electric field while writing the hologram is studied. Our experiments show that, during writing, when the electric field is applied opposite to the c axis the grating can be successfully revealed with both positive and negative dc voltages. However, when the grating is written with a field parallel to the c axis, the grating can be revealed only with a field applied in the opposite direction. Received: 28 October 2002 / Revised version: 28 February 2003 / Published online: 14 May 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-812/872-6167, E-mail: azad.siahmakoun@rose-hulman.edu     

Speed and diffraction efficiency in feedback-controlled running holograms for photorefractive crystal characterization

We report the measurement of the diffusion length, the Debye screening length and the quantum efficiency of photoelectron generation in strongly light absorbing photorefractive Bi₁₂TiO₂₀ crystals, using fringe-locked running hologram experiments. The effective applied electric field inside the sample is also computed and self-diffraction is considered. The novelty here, as compared to formerly reported experiments, is that the diffraction efficiency is now measured simultaneously with the hologram speed v. From these data the above referred to photorefractive and experimental parameters are obtained without the need for additional experiments. The method is used to analyze two photorefractive Bi₁₂TiO₂₀ crystal samples, in different experimental conditions, using the 514.5 nm wavelength. The computed parameters are in good agreement with the available information about these samples. Received: 23 November 2000 / Published online: 21 March 2001     

Influence of auxiliary violet light on holographic kinetics at low and high recording intensities in bacteriorhodopsin film

The photochromic bacteriorhodopsin (BR) film can be used as a rewritable holographic recording medium. Due to the saturation absorption and the scattering and reflecting lights from the BR film, the grating contrast-ratio of the hologram is diminished during the hologram recording. When the intensity of the recording light is low, the influence of the saturation absorption and the scatter and reflection of BR film on the grating contrast-ratio is weak. But for the case of intense recording light, this influence is more serious. It is found that the influence of the auxiliary violet light on the holographic kinetics of diffraction efficiency is distinct under different recording intensities. At the low recording light intensity, the steady diffraction efficiency is increased and the peak diffraction efficiency is suppressed by the auxiliary violet light. But for intense recording light, the steady diffraction efficiency and the peak diffraction efficiency are both increased by the auxiliary violet light. Based on the two-state model of BR photochromism, we give a good theoretical explanation to the above phenomena.     

Analysis of lateral-spread photorefractive planar lenses

The photorefractive planar lens for converting a vertical incident plane wave to a lateral-spread spherical wave and vice versa, is suggested. Using the two-beam coupled-wave theory, the coupled wave equations are derived and their half-analytical solutions are also given in terms of an infinite series. The diffraction properties (beam profiles, diffraction efficiency) of the local volume grating in the lens are presented. And the focusing property of the lens is discussed and compared with that of an ideal convergent spherical wave. It is demonstrated that the suggested photorefractive planar lens shows a good focusing effect.     

On the multiple-root problem when solving directly the nonlinear coupled-wave equations for two-wave mixing in a reflection geometry

A detailed analysis is given of the properties of the algebraic equations obtained when solving directly the nonlinear coupled-wave equations for degenerate two-wave mixing in a reflection geometry. An efficient method is developed for computing the appropriate root only amongst the multiple roots of these algebraic equations.     

Effect of recording conditions on the anisotropic diffraction of volume holographic gratings

The anisotropic Bragg diffraction of the volume holographic gratings in photorefractive crystals are investigated based on the model of anisotropic coupled-wave theory. The effect of the initial intensity ratio and the recording angles of the two recording waves on the anisotropic Bragg diffraction properties is discussed. It is shown that both the ratio of the initial intensity and the incident angles of the recording waves are selective action for the anisotropic Bragg diffraction efficiency of the volume holographic gratings, while these two recording conditions are not selective action for the isotropic Bragg diffraction. Furthermore, the Bragg phase matching condition of anisotropic diffraction is analyzed when the recording angles change.     

Steady holographic gratings in semiconductor multiple quantum wells

A theoretical model based on the Dember mechanism is proposed to describe the steady state photorefractive gratings generated in semiconductor multiple quantum wells (MQW). It has been applied to an GaAs/AlGaAs MQW in parallel configuration (external electric field applied parallel to the MQW layers) for which recent experimental data are available. The model predicts a dependence of the first-order diffraction efficiency on the applied field in qualitative accordance with experiments, including the occurrence of saturation at high field values. Absolute values of the efficiencies are in good agreement with the experimental ones. Finally, high second-order diffraction efficiencies, associated with the development of a perpendicular space charge field, are also predicted by the model.     

Image reconstruction from a dielectric volume hologram

The phenomenon of image reconstruction from an absorptionless volume hologram is analyzed using coupled-wave diffraction theory. Reconstruction efficiency formulas are derived, which apply when the hologram intermodulation component is negligible and when no extraneous diffracted orders of significant amplitude are generated. Both transmission and reflection holograms are considered, and the analysis is developed for diffraction geometries in which polarization effects are appreciable.     

局域体全息光栅衍射的平面波与柱面波的波前转换研究

利用一维耦合波理论研究了入射方向相互垂直的一束平面波与一束柱面波干涉形成光折变局域体全息光栅的波前转换情况。给出了透射波和衍射波振幅的解析表达式。讨论了该局域体全息光栅的几何尺寸以及全息透镜的焦距对光栅衍射效率的影响。结果表明,随着光栅横向尺寸的增加,光栅的衍射效率也逐渐增加。然而,光栅的衍射效率却随着光栅纵向尺寸的增加而减小。全息透镜的焦距越长,光栅的衍射效率也越大。此外,分析了光栅的布拉格选择特性,该光栅具有非常好的角度选择特性。在平面波与柱面波干涉形成全息透镜的设计中,为了获得最优的衍射效率,应当根据要求合理地选择记录所用柱面波和设计光栅的几何尺寸。     

Diffraction efficiency and energy transfer in two-wave mixing experiments with Bi12SiO20 crystals

The diffraction efficiency and energy transfer are investigated in photorefractive Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ crystals (BSO). Dependence on fringe spacing, electric fields, light intensity and rise-time constants are reported. The optimum crystallographic orientation for each effect is determined for vertical polarization of the recording beams. It is shown that beam coupling is a very sensitive phenomenon in BSO crystals where charge transport lengths are equivalent to usual fringe spacings. Experimental results are interpreted on the basis of the nonlinear theory of self-diffraction developed by Kukhtarev et al. [10].     

Non linear recording in silver halide planar volume holograms

A series of bromine-vapour bleached, planar, volume holograms were formed in silver halide emulsion. The holograms were characterised by measuring the variation in intensity of the transmitted replaying beam with angles at several wavelengths. The results were investigated using coupled-wave theory, allowing for the existence of grating harmonics and higher diffraction orders. The effects of first, second and third grating harmonics were found in the experimental results. Modulation profiles synthesised using the results suggested the presence of a small fourth harmonic in the higher exposure holograms.