Nonlinear optical phenomena at the interface with photorefractive crystals

Characteristics of nonlinear optical phenomena in reflection of light at the interface with photorfractive crystals having photovoltaic nonlinearity are studied. it is shown that under total reflection, hysteretic behavior of the reflection coefficient is possible as a function of the incident radiation intensity or the angle of incidence. It is important that previously required threshold intensities are rather low (≤1 W/cm²) in comparison with the known case of reflection from media with Kerr nonlinearity. The present results are of doubtless interest in view of the development of possible devices for controlling laser radiation. Interdepartmental Institute of Advanced Training of Personnel in New Trends in Engineering and Technology at the State Polytechnical Academy of Belarus, 77, Partizanskii Ave., Minsk-107, 220600 Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 6, pp. 915–920, November–December, 1998.