Abstract

Periodically poled ferroelectric media are important candidates for high-efficiency low-threshold frequency conversion devices and are typically more more resistant to photorefractive beam degradation than homogeneously poled crystals.^1-5 LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃ display substantial photovoltaic currents along the polar axis that dominate their photorefractive behavior. In periodically poled photovoltaic media, neighboring domains generate photovoltaic currents in opposite directions, so that some reduction of the total photovoltaic-induced electric field is expected. Consequently, high resistance to photorefractive beam degradation, which arises from electro-optic-induced index perturbations, is expected.

© 1996 Optical Society of America