Real-time image subtraction in four-wave mixing with photorefractive Bi12GeO20 crystals

Based on a classical two-exposure holographic technique, real-time image subtraction is obtained in four-wave mixing of a reflection hologram type with highly sensitive photorefractive Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ crystals. This method takes advantage of the relatively slow response and erasure times of holographic recording in Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ crystals.     

Real-time image division in four-wave mixing with photorefractive Bi12GeO20 crystals

Real-time image division is obtained by using four-wave mixing of a reflection hologram type with photorefractive Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ crystals. This method utilizes the nonlinear characteristic of four-wave mixing which reverses the phase of the incident wave.     

Light-induced charge transfer processes in Mn-doped Bi12GeO20 and Bi12SiO20 single crystals

The optical absorption and ESR spectra of Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ and B₁₂SiO₂₀ doped with Mn have been measured before and after illumination with visible light. Uniaxial stress measurements on a sharp line observed at 8026 cm^?1 were performed. The observed ESR spectrum is a superposition of six lines resulting from the hyperfine interaction of manganese ions in tetrahedral positions. The g-factor and hyperfine constant are g = 1.999 ± 0.003 and A = 78 Gs. Analysis of the light-induced absorption spectrum leads to the conclusion that a small hole polaron bound to an Mn impurity at a tetrahedral site is responsible for the very broad absorption band which appears after illumination. The sharp line is interpreted as due to a transition inside the Mn⁺ center in tetrahedral coordination. Bands in the region 10,000–16,000 cm^?1 are due to Mn³⁺ centers in interstitial positions, whose symmetry can be treated to a first approximation as tetragonal. The following crystal field parameters for this center were found: B = 565 cm^?1, Dq = 1400 cm^?1, Dt = ?330 cm^?1, Ds = 4170 cm^?1 and C = 2260 cm^?1. The illumination conditions which are needed for homogeneous coloration of the sample are also discussed.     

Transient energy transfer between writing beams during hologram formation in Bi12GeO20

A large transient energy transfer between writing beams during volume phase-hologram formation in Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ has been observed. The variation of the energy transfer by applying an external field and by changing the fringe spacing of the elementary holograms have been measured and described in the framework of Kukhtarevs nonlinear theory of transient self-diffraction. The results indicate that the transient energy transfer in Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ is due to a non-stationary phase mismatch between the intensity- and refractive index grating caused by photoconductivity and that the transient energy transfer increases with increasing fringe spacing and increasing applied electric field. Up to ten-fold amplification of coherent beams has been measured, corresponding to an exponential gain of Г = 2 cm^-1. A continuous energy transfer has been observed when the phase between recording beams was changed linearly with time during recording. It is shown that light is coherently amplified for electric field strengths larger than 2.3 kV/cm and that a peak amplification factor of Г₁ = 2 cm^-1 has been reached for E₀ = 11 kV/cm.     

Light induced charge transfer processes in Cr doped Bi12GeO20 and Bi12SiO20 single crystals

Optical absorption and ESR spectra of Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ doped with Cr were measured before and after illumination with visible light. It was found that Cr⁴⁺ ions in tetrahedral position are responsible for light induced ESR and optical spectra. The g-factor of the center is 1.945 ± 0.002. Crystal field parameters for the Cr⁴⁺ center are D_q = 820 cm^?1 and B = 429cm^?1. The photochromic effect is explained in terms of a Cr⁵⁺?Cr⁴⁺ charge transfer process.     

Crystal chirality and optical rotation sense in isomorphous Bi12SiO20 and Bi12GeO20

Laevorotatory crystals of isomorphous Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ and Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ are shown, by use of the anomalous X-ray scattering component in the structure amplitudes, to have identical chirality (handedness of atomic arrangement) in contrast with the case of NaC10₃ and NaBrO₃, in which crystals of the same chirality rotate plane polarized light in opposite senses.     

中子非弹性散射对Bi12GeO20和Bi12SiO20旋声性的研究

通过用中子非弹性散射测量旋声晶体高对称方向的横声学支声子色散曲线的劈裂,从三个方面研究了同构异质晶体Bi₁₂GeO₂₀和Bi₁₂SiO₂₀的旋声特性。值得注意的是,沿〈111〉方向传播的左旋、右旋圆偏振声子具有不同的衰减。其中传播速度快的圆偏振声子衰减较大,该结论为这两种晶体所证实,这是在晶体旋声性研究中首次观察到的现象。实验还直接确定了衰减较大的这支声子的寿命约为2×10^-11S。 关键词：     

Temperature-dependent far-infrared properties of Bi12GeO20 single crystal

Far-infrared reflectivity spectra of bismuth germanium oxide (Bi12GeO20) single crystals are measured from room temperature down to 10 K. All the reflectivity spectra are fitted to a complex dielectric function ε(ω) in the factorised form. Phonon modes at low frequency are found to develop upon decreasing temperature and gain considerable spectrum weight below 150 K. The temperature-dependent static dielectric constants are obtained from the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relation based on the obtained oscillator parameters. The dielectric constants are found to increase upon decreasing temperature, which is attributed to the charge transfer among the ions in the unit cell with the temperature varying.     

Leaky photorefractive surface waves in Bi12TiO20 and Bi12SiO20 crystals

Consistent experimental and numerical simulation studies of photorefractive surface wave propagation in Bi₁₂TiO₂₀ and Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ crystals are presented. We induce the photorefractive surface wave with a Gaussian beam of small diameter and show that light leakage from the surface wave takes the form of multiple beam reflection from the crystal surface. The efficiency of surface wave excitation is proved to be much higher for the divergent Gaussian beam than for the convergent one.     

Reversible photochromic effects in doped single crystals of bismuth germanium (Bi12GeO20) and bismuth silicon oxide (Bi12SiO20)

Absorption of Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ and Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ single crystals doped with Mn and Cr were investigated before and after illumination with visible light. Pronounced photochromic effects were found. The effects are explained in terms of light induced charge transfer Mn⁴⁺→Mn⁵⁺ and Cr³⁺→Cr²⁺.     

Analysis of reflectivity spectrum and band structure of Bi12GeO20

The fundamental reflectivity spectrum in the energy range 1.5–8.5 eV is reported for Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ (BGO) single crystals. From a Kramers-Kronig analysis the optical constants of BGO are computed. An energy level scheme for interband optical transitions is proposed. A value of 0.7 eV for the spin-orbit splitting of the valence band is suggested. Some features of the band structure are discussed, and the correlations between the band structures of BGO and A₂^VB₃^VI-compounds are indicated. The experimental premises for possible simplifications of a theoretical calculation of the band structure are given.     

锗酸铋晶体的超声特性

本文采用超声脉冲回波法在4.2K—300K温区内测试了锗酸铋晶体[110]和[111]晶向的超声纵波衰减与温度的关系,结果在50K附近均出现由于激活弛豫过程所引起的大的异常衰减峰;本文还用脉冲回波重合法精密测定了[100],[110]和[111]晶向的超声纵波和横波的声速,并由此计算出弹性常数C₁₁,C₄₄和C₁₂。     

Normal modes in the vicinity of the brillouin zone center of tightly bound units in Bi12GeO20 and Bi12SiO20

From Raman data and a group-theoretical analysis, we deduce that in Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ and Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ there are four weakly bound oxygen atoms and a tightly bound unit MO₄, where M = Ge or Si. Some normal modes of the tightly bound units are identified in Raman and in infrared reflection data. The kinds of interatomic binding forces in these crystals are determined. The results are compared with structure data determined by X-ray scattering.     

Coherent signal beam amplification in two-wave mixing experiments with photorefractive Bi12SiO20 crystals

The amplification of the input signal beam in two-wave mixing experiments with photorefractive Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ crystals is achieved when an additional phase shift is established between the photoinduced index modulation (phase volume hologram) and the incident fringe pattern. This stationary phase shift is introduced by either moving the crystal or the interference fringes at a constant speed. The transferred intensity is measured versus the applied electric field, fringe spacing and crystal velocity. The crystallographic orientation and the relative displacement with respect to the applied electric field polarity determine the amplitude of the energy transfer. For the first time in this crystal, signal beam amplification is reached for an applied field E₀ > 8 kV cm^?1 and a crystal or fringe displacement speed around 5 μm s^?1 at the green line (λ = 514 nm) of an argon laser.     

Bi12GeO20晶体的位错蚀斑与对称群

用化学浸蚀法系统的研究了Bi₁₂GeO₂₀晶体{100},{100},{111}等晶面独特浸蚀斑规律并用对称群理论进行分析.理论预示的蚀斑形态与实验结果符合很好.显示位错蚀斑是由{112}晶面组成,即晶体的惯态面为{112}.     

“Running” holograms in photorefractive Bi12SiO20 crystals

It is shown that under uniform illumination and application of an external electric field, a phase volume hologram in a photorefractive crystal exists in the form of relaxing running wave. Effective recording of such a running hologram is possible only by an interference pattern moving synchronously with the recorded grating. The physical nature of this phenomenon, the possible enhancement of the hologram diffraction efficiency upon recording of a running pattern and the main factors limiting its value are discussed for the case of photorefractive Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ crystals.     

Multi-wavelength holography in Bi12TiO20 crystals: Applications in refractometry

We present a recent development in holography with multimode, large free-spectral range (FSR) diode lasers in photorefractive sillenite crystals. A novel refractometry method based on this type of holographic recording in Bi₁₂TiO₂₀ (BTO) crystals is proposed. The holographic image of a prism-shaped transparent sample appears covered of interference fringes, and as the sample is properly translated, the fringes run along the holographic image. An expression providing the refractive index of the medium as a function of the sample displacement and the correspondent number of running fringes was derived. The refractive indexes of optical (BK7) glass, ethanol, hexan, cumene and aqueous solution of NaCl with different concentrations were measured in order to test the method. The obtained results are in good agreement with the ones reported in literature or measured by us using a commercial Abbe refractometre.     

Light diffraction and nonlinear image processing in electrooptic Bi12SiO20 crystals

Some characteristic peculiarities of the volume phase holograms in a high-sensitive electrooptic Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ crystals such as polarization properties of the diffracted light beam and nonlinear phenomena in the stationary stage of the hologram formation are investigated. Spatial frequency mixing or combinational hologram writing by means of non-linearity of the holographic process is discussed as a new promising technique of the volume holography. In particular two important problems of Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ crystals: nondestructive readout at the wavelength different from that of the writing beams and correlation analysis of complex two-dimensional pictures can be solved by this method.     

A study of acoustical activity of BiP12GeO20

Acoustical activity of Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ has been studied by measuring the splitting of the degeneracy of transverse acoustical waves propagating along the directions corresponding to acoustical axes, [100] and [111] with neutron inelastic scattering. A comparison with the experimental results of α-SiO₂ and NaClO₃ has been done. Three striking features of acoustical activity can be obtained from the present study. One of them is that the attenuation is different for right circularly polarized mode of acoustical phonon propagating along acoustical axes from left one. This effect might have applications in the future.     

Mapping of vibration amplitudes by time average holography in Bi12SiO20 crystals

We report the performance of a holographic set-up with a Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ (BSO) photorefractive crystal for measuring vibration amplitudes in a time average holography system. The volume hologram is recorded with the 514.5 nm wavelength of an Ar⁺ laser. In this set-up the reference beam is sinusoidally phase-modulated with the same frequency of the vibrating object. By increasing the value of the phase modulation, the fringes of the time average pattern run along the object surface, so that the vibration amplitude mapping is carried out. This technique allows the improvement of the measurement sensitivity compared with conventional time average holography, even for interferograms with poor visibility.