Nonlinear Optical Characteristics of BSO and BGO Photorefractive Crystals in Visible and Infrared Ranges

Nonlinear refraction, nonlinear absorption and optical limiting in photorefractive crystals Bi₁₂SiO₂₀(BSO) and Bi₁₂GeO₂₀(BGO) at the wavelengths of 1064 and 532 nm were investigated. It was shown that both BSO and BGO crystals possess by positive nonlinear refraction in two investigated spectral ranges (n ₂ ^BSO=(2.5 ± 0.5)× 10^–12 esu, n ₂ ^BGO=(6.3 ± 1.3)× 10^–12 esu at equals 1064 nm; n ₂ ^BSO=(4.4 plusmn; 0.9)× 10^–12 esu, n ₂ ^BGO=(7.4 ± 1.5)× 10^–12 esu at = 532 nm). The nonlinear absorption was due to three-photon absorption at the wavelength of 1064 nm ( ⁽³⁾ _BSO=(2.5 ± 0.8)× 10^–20cm³W^–2, ⁽³⁾ _BSO=(4.4 ± 1.3)× 10^–20cm³W^–2) and two-photon absorption at the wavelength of 532 nm ( ⁽²⁾ _BSO=(2 ± 0.4)× 10^–9cm W^–1, ⁽²⁾ _BGO=(3.7 ± 0.7)× 10^–9cm W^–1).