Abstract

Photorefractive recording and light and dark erasures have been measured in unannealed α-phase proton-exchanged ${\mathrm{LiNbO}}_3$ waveguides. The saturation index change, $\mathrm{\Delta }{n}_s\cong 9\times {10}^{-6},$ is independent of the light intensity within the studied range, 0.3–50 W/cm². The time dependencies are well represented by the sum of two exponential components. After complete optical erasure, diffraction efficiency η increases in the dark (i.e., dark developing) up to ∼17% of the saturation value ${\eta }_s\cong 0.12$ and then decays to zero in ∼4 h. All experimental results are reasonably well simulated by a model in which the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}/{\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ light-induced charge distribution is compensated for by a light-insensitive species (ionic charges or holes) that is mobile at room temperature.

© 2000 Optical Society of America

Photorefractive fixing phenomena in alpha-phase proton-exchanged LiNbO3 waveguides

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Correlation between photorefractive index changes and optical damage thresholds in z-cut proton-exchanged-LiNbO₃ waveguides

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