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

Abstract

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]. © 1981 Springer-Verlag.