Applied Physics Letters
Two-wave mixing in Stark geometry photorefractive quantum wells using moving gratings
I. Lahiri, Robert M. Brubaker, David D. Nolte, M. R. Melloch
Abstract
Nonreciprocal energy transfer between two coherent laser beams during two-wave mixing requires a photorefractive phase shift between the interference pattern and the resulting space charge. The symmetry of the Stark geometry photorefractive quantum wells forbids a phase shift using either dc or ac fields. We present the first experimental demonstration of nonreciprocal energy transfer during two-wave mixing using moving gratings. Optical energy exchange is observed in photorefractive p-i-n quantum well diodes with photorefractive gains approaching 1000 cm−1 and exhibiting complex spatio-temporal dynamics.