We show that stimulated two-wave mixing is the origin of phase conjugate fields in self-pumped photorefractive mirrors. We predict that the bulk photovoltaic effect gives rise to an intensity-dependent frequency shift in the phase conjugate field and is the physical origin for the occurrence of beam fanning.
The physical origin of frequency shift and dynamic instability in a photorefractive self-pumped phase conjugator is analyzed by use of four-wave mixing and multi-four-wave mixing. We show that the frequency shift and the instability result from the requirement of the maximal energy transfer between the interacting beams. Two examples of numerical results in a cat self-pumped phase conjugator are given, which are in good agreement with previous experimental results. A simple method is proposed to change an unstable phase-conjugate output to a stable one.
When the phase-conjugate replica of an optical beam is generated by traditional four-wave mixing with external pumping beams, the frequency of the phase-conjugate beam is fixed by the frequencies of the three input beams. In self-pumped phase conjugation, there is only one input beam, and the frequency of the output beam is free to roam. In photorefractive materials, this frequency difference between the incident and output beams is typically a few hertz. We present a method for controlling this frequency shift in the self-pumped phase-conjugate mirror that uses a ring configuration1 in photorefractive barium titanate. We show that two-beam coupling of an additional control beam with either of the optical beams already present in the ring cavity can alter the frequency of the phase-conjugate beam. We show that the control beam can alter the nonreciprocal phase shift2 of light propagating around the ring and thereby alter the frequency of the phase-conjugate beam. We also calculate the magnitude and the sign of the expected frequency shift as a function of the intensity, direction, and frequency of this control beam.
The demonstration of optical phase conjugation in photorefractive materials has been accomplished by numerous methods, including i) externally-pumped four-wave mixing,1ii) self-pumped (passive) phase conjugation,24iii) stimulated backscattering,5,6and iv) mutually-pumped phase conjugation.7-10Stimulated backscattering and self-pumped phase conjugators have only a single incident beam. On the other hand, externally-pumped four-wave mixing has two auxiliary pumping beams in addition to the incident probe beam. Different still is the cross-conjugation of the two incident beams in mutually pumped phase conjugators. To use these conjugators in a given application, the compatibility between the processes generating the phase-conjugate wave(s) and the application must be considered. The distinguishing features of the different conjugators translate to advantages or disadvantages for certain applications.
Effects of stimulated photorefractive backscattering (SPB) interactions in both stimulated photorefractive backscattering and four-wave mixing (SPB-FWM) and total internal reflection (TIR) self-pumped phase conjugators have been analyzed theoretically. SPB interactions in the four-wave mixing regions are neglected. Calculations show that the operational threshold and the phase conjugation reflectivity of both phase conjugators are very sensitive to the backscattering two-wave mixing gain coefficient of the crystals. From these results the mechanism transition phenomenon of a self-pumped phase conjugator between SPB-FWM and TIR can be explained if the backscattering gain coefficient of the crystal varies with doping concentration or with wavelength.
The effects of linear absorption on the degenerate and nondegenerate self-oscillation conditions of a photorefractive phase-conjugate mirror are explored. In this study, phase-conjugation results from nonlinear mixing of two strong undepleted parallel-polarized counterpropagating pump waves with a probe wave. Numerical results are presented that illustrate that the linear absorption tends to increase the value of the coupling coefficient required for self-oscillation. It is also found that the pump intensity ratio r is almost independent of the linear absorption for positive normalized detuning Δωτ between the probe and the pump frequencies and of the zero phase shift, ϕ, between the gratings and the light interference patterns when the gratings are stationary. For ϕ = ±π/2, the variation of r with respect to absorption is symmetric for positive and negative detunings.