Abstract
Non-reciprocal energy transfer (optical gain) between two laser fields is forbidden by symmetry in Stark-Effect photorefractive devices because the carrier transport is perpendicular to the holographic grating vector. Energy transfer requires broken symmetry between the two mixing light fields to define an energy transfer direction. Therefore, two-wave mixing gain has not previously been observed in longitudinal Stark- geometry photorefractive quantum wells, although record optical gains would be possible if a photorefractive phase shift could be introduced. We have succeeded in breaking the symmetry by using moving gratings, and have made the first experimental observation of two-wave mixing in the Stark geometry using photorefractive p-i-n diode structures. Large photorefractive gains are one of the unique features of photorefractive phenomena that distinguish them from other optical nonlinearities and make them candidates for many optical applications. Our work therefore opens the door to these applications.
© 1996 Optical Society of America
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