Photorefractive four-wave mixing with partially coherent light beams

Received: 11 April 1997/Revised version: 22 May 1997     

Photorefractive optical properties of volume phase gratings induced in sillenite crystals, when the grating vector lies on the (111) plane

We study the diffraction efficiency of volume phase gratings in Bi₁₂GeO₂₀, when the grating vector, lying on a (111) plane, is at an angle with respect to the crystallographic direction. An external bias field parallel to the direction is applied during recording, thus, the recording conditions depend on the grating vector orientation. The basic parameters determining the diffraction efficiency are the grating vector orientation, the rotatory power and the field-induced linear birefringence (primary and secondary). Analytic expressions for the diffraction efficiency have been obtained by taking into account all the above-mentioned parameters, provided that linearly polarized light is incident on the crystal. In this configuration, the influence of the secondary electro-optic effect (inverse piezoelectric and photoelastic effects) to the diffraction efficiency is actually stronger than the influence of the primary effect. Experimental results are given. Received: 3 January 2000 / Revised version: 6 June 2000 / Published online: 13 September 2000     

Experimental determination of the electro-optic coefficients in Ba0.77Ca0.23TiO3

We propose an experimental method for the determination of the electro-optic coefficients of photorefractive crystals. Using anisotropic properties of the crystal and using the response of the crystal to different polarization states of the incident light, it is possible to determine the ratio between various electro-optic coefficients by measuring the gain in a two-wave mixing set-up. The accuracy of the measurements is estimated and the obtained electro-optic coefficients for a Ba_0.77Ca_0.23TiO₃ crystal show good agreement with corresponding values already known from the literature. Received: 24 January 2000 / Revised version: 23 May 2000 / Published online: 16 August 2000     

Photorefractive amplification and generation of light beams in BaTiO3 controlled by the intensity of the pump light

3 by photorefractive forward four-wave mixing. The intensity of a signal beam is amplified by a factor up to 3000. We show that heating of the crystal by absorption of the pump light influences the gain because of the thermo-optic effect. Thus both, amplification and generation can be controlled by the intensities of the pump beams. Received: 23 January 1998     

Model of deep and shallow traps for the crystal Ba0.77Ca0.23TiO3

A model of deep and shallow traps has been applied in order to explain the temporal development of the signal wave amplification as well as the pump wave depletion in two-wave-mixing experiments in the crystal Ba_0.23Ca_0.77TiO₃ (BCT). The intensities of the outgoing waves have been studied at different intensities of the incident waves during the first 500 s before the beams have reached their stable states. On the basis of the obtained temporal dependences of the intensities, some material parameters of the crystal have been estimated, like excitation cross sections from the deep and shallow traps (valence levels) into the conduction band, recombination rates from the conduction band into the valence levels, absolute and redistributed charge densities of the deep and shallow traps, and modulations of the absorption and refractive indices. Received: 26 May 2000 / Revised version: 26 September 2000 / Published online: 21 February 2001     

High optical gain using counterpropagating beams in iron and terbium-doped photorefractive lithium niobate

Exceptionally high values of photorefractive gain coefficient of up to 100 cm^-1 have been observed in Fe-doped and Fe/Tb-doped crystals of photorefractive lithium niobate. It is believed that these are the highest observed coefficients of any crystalline photorefractive medium. Accurate measurements of gain coefficient have been possible for the first time by using a specially cut triangular crystal which allows the use of short interaction lengths and the complete elimination of surface reflections by having the beams incident at Brewster’s angle. Experimental results are consistent with a simple model of photorefractive beam coupling up until the onset of noise which is observed to deplete the pump for interaction lengths longer than 1 mm. Received: 28 September 1998 / Revised version: 8 January 1999 / Published online: 31 March 1999     

Simultaneous and sequential power transfer between coherent beams by photorefractive coupling

The power of several coherent laser beams can be transferred into a single diffraction-limited signal beam by photorefractive coupling. The efficiency of the power transfer is investigated experimentally in the case of two pump beams. Two different geometrical arrangements, one with overlapping (simultaneous) and the other with separate (sequential) pump beams are compared in a BaTiO₃:Ce crystal, with diffusion-driven photorefraction. We measured about the same power transfer efficiency in both arrangements for strong signal beams, but the efficiency was higher in the sequential arrangement for weak signals. A simple theoretical model of the power transfer process based on the standard linear two-wave-mixing theory is presented and the observed stationary beam-coupling behavior for different pump-to-signal intensity ratios is found to be in qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions. Received: 10 November 1998 / Revised version: 22 December 1998 / Published online: 24 March 1999     

Study of beam-fanning hysteresis in photo- refractive SBN:Ce: light-induced and primary scattering as functions of polar structure

We study light-induced scattering (beam-fanning) in the photorefractive crystal SBN:Ce as a function of the polar structure of the crystal. The spatial structure of the beam-fanning is measured at different externally applied electric fields, and an optical hysteresis is found in the scattering. It is shown that the scattering hysteresis results from a polarization hysteresis typical for ferroelectrics in the polar phase. New information about primary scattering in SBN is obtained, and a corresponding model of its origin is proposed. It is shown that the intensity and angular distribution of the primary scattering strongly depend on the polar structure of the crystal and can be affected by the subsequent action of an external field and coherent illumination. Received: 27 August 2002 / Revised version: 19 December 2002 / Published online: 26 March 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. E-mail: mirco.imlau@uni-osnabrueck.de     

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     

Nonlinearity of a response in photorefractive crystals with a square-wave applied field

The space-charge-field formation in a photorefractive crystal illuminated by a one-dimensional light pattern is studied when an alternating square-wave electric field is applied to the crystal. We derive the general nonlinear equation for the time-averaged distribution of the space-charge field and employ the simplified versions of this equation to analyze the space-charge-field formation in the case of a Gaussian beam and interference light pattern. The borders of the applicability of simplified equations and analytic expressions to describe a self-action of light beams and the large modulation effects under two-beam coupling are estimated from the numerical calculations. Received: 18 November 1998 / Revised version: 26 January 1999 / Published online: 12 April 1999     

Amplification of near-infrared light in a photorefractive ring resonator

We have demonstrated efficient amplification of near-infrared, 0.83-μm and 1.06-μm light, in a photorefractive ring resonator using Rh:BaTiO₃. The optical power oscillating inside the ring exceeded the pump power by a factor of up to 2.34. The sensitivity of a ring resonator to nanometer changes in its length was characterised using a piezo-mirror. Received: 30 November 2000 / Revised version: 24 January 2001 / Published online: 20 April 2001     

Seeded and spontaneous light hexagons in LiNbO3:Fe

The first observation of optical hexagons in a medium with dominating photovoltaic charge transport – in LiNbO₃:Fe – is reported. The optimum conditions for hexagon observation are revealed and discussed. The dynamics of hexagon formation are also studied. Received: 9 February 2000 / Published online: 8 March 2000     

Molecular orientations and photorefractive effects in C60-doped liquid crystals with capillary-flow-induced alignment

Molecular orientations and photorefractive effects of C₆₀-doped nematic liquid crystals were investigated with layer-structured liquid crystal cells where a nematic phase was injected. Regardless of the surface treatments of the layers, liquid crystals injected with nematic phase showed a higher degree of director orientation and photorefractivity than those injected with an isotropic phase. The nematic alignment of liquid crystals in an untreated cell is generated by a capillary flow of liquid crystal during the nematic injection. However, it was observed that the grating formation was delayed a little longer with injection of nematic phase than with injection of isotropic phase. Received: 11 March 2002 / Revised version: 22 April 2002 / Published online: 12 July 2002     

High photorefractive performance of low glass-transition-temperature polymeric composite doped with bifunctional chromophore

-1 and an index grating amplitude of about 4.3×10^-3 were obtained. Furthermore, high solubility of the dye in PVK and high stability of the photorefractive composite were also exhibited. Received: 7 January 1998/Revised version: 7 April 1998     

Etalon effect in wave-mixing experiments with photorefractive crystals

We present investigations of the etalon effect in sillenite photorefractive crystals with a pulsed frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser and show its influence on two- and four-wave mixing. In four-wave mixing the etalon effect allows changes of the diffraction efficiency by more than 80%. Results are supported by theoretical considerations. Received: 15 April 1998/Revised version: 19 June 1998     

Electric-field enhancement of beam coupling in Sn2P2S6

The influence of an external field on photorefractive recording in Sn₂P₂S₆ (SPS) crystals is studied. A large gain factor of more then 15 cm^-1 is achieved for a grating spacing of 12 μm at λ=0.9 μm. For an applied field exceeding ±200 V/cm a switching of the beam coupling direction is detected, exhibiting a pronounced hysteresis. Received: 25 October 2000 / Revised version: 18 January 2001 / Published online: 21 March 2001     

Temperature-tuned difference-frequency mixing in periodically poled KTiOPO4

4 (PPKTP). We generated 12 μW of radiation tunable around 1.6 μm by difference-frequency mixing of the outputs of a frequency-doubled Nd:YLF laser at 523 nm (240 mW) and a tunable Ti:sapphire laser near 760 nm (340 mW). A temperature tuning rate of 0.73 nm/°C for the generated wavelength and a FWHM temperature acceptance bandwidth of 6.9 °C cm was observed. The effective d₃₃ coefficient was estimated to be ∼5 pm/V. Received: 02 September 1998     

Transmission behavior in a photorefractive polymer film

When a p-polarized beam propagates through a high-performance photorefractive polymer composite, poly dimethyl-4-(4^′-nitrophenylazo)benzene, its transmission behavior is influenced by three effects: the electroabsorption, the photorefractive coupling with the reflected beam from the rear surface, and the amplified scattering. From the measurements on the incidence angle dependence as well as the applied-electric-field dependence of the three effects, some conclusions are obtained. At a small incidence angle with a low applied electric field, both the amplified scattering and the electroabsorption are small whereas the coupling between the incident beam and the reflected beam plays a principal role. At a large incidence angle or with a high poling electric field, the transmission is influenced mainly by the amplified scattering and the electroabsorption. A poling electric field asymmetric loss to the amplification scattering is also observed. Received: 18 November 1998 / Revised version: 10 February 1999 / Published online: 12 April 1999     

Reflection-type photorefractive gratings in tin hypotiodiphosphate

Reflection photorefractive gratings recorded by nearly counterpropagating light waves in the near infrared are studied in tin hypothiodiphosphate. The ratios are established for certain electrooptic tensor components responsible for reflection grating recording, and the Debye screening length is evaluated. Reflection holograms of binary objects are recorded. Received: 26 June 2001 / Revised version: 3 September 2001 / Published online: 29 November 2001     

Generation of 840 mW of red light by frequency doubling a diode-pumped 1342 nm Nd:YVO4 laser with periodically-poled LiTaO3

We report an efficient generation of red light in a periodically-poled LiTaO₃ (PPLT) crystal by extracavity single-pass frequency doubling of a diode-pumped, Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ laser at 1342 nm. The sample used in the experiment is 20 mm in length and 14.77 μm in period. An average power of 840 mW of the 671 nm red light is obtained with a 808 nm pump of 12.3 W, the overall optical-to-optical efficiency being 6.8%. The measured effective nonlinear coefficient of the sample is ∼3.8 pm/V. The high conversion efficiency and output power demonstrate that the periodically-poled crystal serving as a frequency conversion device may be used in practice to construct an all-solid-state red laser based on an extracavity single-pass quasi-continuous scheme. Received: 17 September 2001 / Revised version: 23 January 2002 / Published online: 8 May 2002