Phase conjugation in BaTiO 3 by use of the indirect photorefractive coupling of orthogonally polarized light waves

A phase-conjugate wave is generated when an ordinary (extraordinary) signal wave is mixed with two counterpropagating extraordinary (ordinary) waves in the plane normal to the BaTiO3 polar axis. The photorefractive grating that couples the ordinary and the extraordinary waves appears if the incident waves induce a noticeable conical parametric scattering; this grating is a difference grating of many noisy scattering gratings recorded by means of the usual diffusion-mediated charge transport. For comparable intensities of signal and pump waves this type of nonlinear wave mixing is much more efficient than that which is due to the circular bulk photovoltaic effect.

Second-order optical phase transition in a semilinear photorefractive oscillator with two counterpropagating pump waves

Soft-mode onset of coherent oscillation is revealed in a semilinear cavity with two counterpropagating pump waves. From the dynamics of the oscillation intensity and the dynamics of the grating decay with the feedback applied, critical behavior is detected: Both the characteristic time of oscillation onset and grating decay time go to infinity exactly at the threshold coupling strength. A conclusion is made about the similarity of this type of oscillator to the second-order phase transition.

Supplementary optical phase transition in photorefractive coherent oscillator

The semilinear photorefractive coherent oscillator with two counterpropagating pump waves may exhibit two optical phase transitions: one from a disordered state of wide-angle photorefractive scattering into a high-ordered state with the immobile photorefractive grating and the other one from the state with immobile grating into the state with two moving photorefractive gratings. We show, both experimentally and from calculations, that two these phase transitions are the second-order phase transitions.

Polarization backward-wave four-wave mixing in BaTiO_3:Fe using the photovoltaic effect

We report the first study to our knowledge of polarization backward-wave four-wave mixing in a BaTiO3:Fe crystal and compare the results of our measurements with the calculations performed within the model of photovoltaic charge transport. Two identically polarized pump waves and one orthogonally polarized signal wave are sent to a sample in a plane normal to the crystal’s C axis; a phase-conjugate wave with polarization identical to that of the signal wave is generated. With a 2-mm-thick sample a phase-conjugate reflectivity Rpc≈0.01 is reached; for a 1-cm-thick sample, amplified reflection should be possible.

Photorefractive amplifier-converter and coherent oscillator with nonexponential gain

For some parametric interactions with identically zero exponential gain for the signal wave the intensity of the idler wave can grow as a second power of the propagation coordinate. Such an amplification is revealed for the parametric mixing of four copropagating waves in BaTiO3; two of them are ordinarily polarized and the two others are extraordinarily polarized. This mixing is used to build up a coherent oscillator. A reasonable qualitative agreement of the experimental results with the calculated data is demonstrated.

Selective growth and optical properties of sputtered BaTiO3films

we report the growth of BaTiO 3 thin films by standard Radio Frequency sputtering. Without any in situ or post annealing, these polycristalline films are oriented relative to the substrate even when it is amorphous. We show that this preferential orientation may be monitored using a DC Bias during the film growth. At room temperature, cubic films of (100) and (110) orientations have been achieved, on fused silica substrate. Some optical waveguiding properties of these films have been studied. The resulting film index is 2.26 and the optical step index at the substrate interface is sharp. This allows the use of standard RF sputtering techniques to monitor oriented BaTiO 3 films for linear op…

Influence of oxygen vacancies on the photorefractive effect in barium titanate single crystals

Abstract In this work the influence of the vacancies concentration in pure BaTiO3 single crystals is studied. It is shown that the oxidation and the reduction do not change the electrooptic coefficients. The reduction modifies the nature of the majority carriers. An evaluation of the trap density N is done.

Two-wave mixing at 854 nm in BaTiO3:Rh planar waveguide implanted with He+

Abstract Guided waves at 854 nm are observed in a BaTiO 3 :Rh waveguide fabricated by the technique of ion-beam implantation. The photorefractive interaction between two guided modes is demonstrated and characterized. The experiments reveal that the gain direction is reversed in the guiding layer in comparison with that in the bulk. A maximum gain of 24 cm −1 is achieved.

Parametric coherent oscillation with feedback via an orthogonally polarized wave

Coherent light amplification with photorefractive crystals may be a consequence of several frequency degenerate (or nearly degenerate) processes of nonlinear wave mixing : It appears for two- beam coupling in the crystals with diffusion-driven charge transport [1] or transport via circular photovoltaic currents [2].

Algebraic value of the electrooptic coefficients and nature of charge carriers in batio3single crystals

Abstract Some monodomain pure and Fe doped barium titanate monocrystals are studied. The algebraic values of the electrooptic coefficients r 13 and r 33 are evaluated using an interferometric method. Then, from energy transfer results it is possible to conclude that majority carriers are positive charges in all the samples.

Photorefractive detection of antiparallel ferroelectric domains in BaTiO 3 and BaTiO 3 :Co crystals

An all-optical method involving one coherent beam of light and based on photorefractive wave mixing is used to reveal antiparallel ferroelectric domains in one pure, and two cobalt-doped, barium titanate crystals (BaTiO 3 ). Rod-shaped domains with square cross sections are revealed.

Phase Conjugation in BaTiO/sub 3/ Using Orthogonally Polarized Light Waves

Manifestation of Curie-Weiss law for optical phase transition

Considerable slowing down is observed for both the temporal development of the coherent oscillation slightly above the threshold and the refractive index grating decay slightly below the threshold for a semilinear photorefractive oscillator with two counter-propagating pump waves. It is shown that in the vicinity of the threshold the reciprocal characteristic time is a linear function of deviation from the threshold coupling strength. This behaviour is similar to an empirical Curie–Weiss law and points to the analogy of the oscillation threshold to a second-order phase transition.

Theoretical study of Fe doping and oxidation–reduction influence on the photorefractive effect in BaTiO_3

We numerically solve charge-transport and Poisson equations for photorefractive BaTiO3 single crystals with a band model, using four impurity levels, Fe2+–Fe3+, Fe3+–Fe4+, VO••–VO•, and VO•-VOx. Densities and photoinduced spatial distributions of each population are computed as a function of annealing O partial pressure. Space-charge field and beam-coupling gain are also computed as a function of annealing O partial pressure, temperature, Fe concentration, grating wave vector, and light intensity. We discuss the intervening mechanism of impurity centers and the correlations between experimental conditions of crystal growth, oxidation–reduction treatments, and measurement parameters.

Energy leaks through the optical barrier created by H+ implantation in BaTiO3 and LiNbO3 planar waveguides

Abstract The energy leaks through the index barrier created by the proton implantation process are put in evidence in planar optical waveguides made in BaTiO 3 and LiNbO 3 substrates. The selective detection of the light emerging from the guiding region permits to measure the optical attenuation of the guided wave. The results obtained on mono or twice implanted LiNbO 3 and BaTiO 3 waveguides are presented and discussed. It is shown that the light confinement is better in BaTiO 3 than in LiNbO 3 .