Abstract

A general method for determining the global maximum of the linear electro-optic effect in crystalline materials based on the construction and analysis of extreme surfaces obtained as a result of the optimization procedure is proposed. The electrically induced optical path length changes for ordinary and extraordinary waves as well as the optical path difference for orthogonally polarized waves were used as the objective functions in the optimization. The objective functions were determined for units of the electric field and crystal thickness in the light pass direction. In the example of ${\mathrm{LiNbO}}_3\text{:}\mathrm{MgO}$, it is shown that the maximal achievable given values of the optical path length change (global maxima) for ordinary and extraordinary waves are 119 pm/V and 277 pm/V, respectively. The global maximum of the optical path difference for orthogonally polarized waves is 269 pm/V (for 632.8 nm wavelength and at room temperature). These global maxima are exceeded by $\sim 1.5$, 1.7, and 2.3 times the respective maximum values on direct cut crystals of ${\mathrm{LiNbO}}_3\text{:}\mathrm{MgO}$ and are $\sim 5\%$, 9%, or 11% larger than the global maxima for undoped ${\mathrm{LiNbO}}_3$ crystal. This ensures a possibility to increase the energy efficiency by $\sim 2.9$ or 5.3 times in the case of using of ${\mathrm{LiNbO}}_3\text{:}\mathrm{MgO}$ crystals with optimal cuts as sensitive elements of electro-optic devices.

© 2017 Optical Society of America

Electric-field-induced optical path length change in LiNbO₃:MgO crystals: spatial anisotropy analysis

Anatoliy S. Andrushchak, Oleh V. Yurkevych, Bogdan M. Strychalyuk, Mykhailo M. Klymash, Andrzej Rusek, and Andriy V. Kityk
Appl. Opt. 52(16) 3757-3763 (2013)

Global maxima for the acousto-optic effect in SrB₄O₇ crystals

Buryy Oleh, Andrushchak Nazariy, Ratych Andriy, Demyanyshyn Natalia, Mytsyk Bohdan, and Andrushchak Anatoliy
Appl. Opt. 56(7) 1839-1845 (2017)

Anisotropy of the acousto-optic figure of merit for LiNbO₃ crystals: isotropic diffraction

Oksana Mys, Myroslav Kostyrko, Oleh Krupych, and Rostyslav Vlokh
Appl. Opt. 54(27) 8176-8186 (2015)

Accurate measurement of electro-optic coefficients of undoped and MgO-doped stoichiometric LiNbO₃

Shota Nakano, Kazuki Akiyama, and Ichiro Shoji
Opt. Mater. Express 7(3) 939-944 (2017)

Extraordinary-mode refractive-index change produced by the linear electro-optic effect in LiNbO₃ and reverse-poled LiNbO₃

Anthony J. Servizzi, Joseph T. Boyd, S. Sriram, and Stuart A. Kingsley
Appl. Opt. 34(21) 4248-4255 (1995)