Optics Letters
Frequency shift and cavity length in photorefractive resonators
M. D. Ewbank, P. Yeh
Abstract
Photorefractive resonators exhibit an extremely small frequency difference (Deltaomega/omega~10(-15)) between the oscillating and pumping beams. The observed frequency difference is proportional to cavity-length detuning. This dependence is explained by a photorefractive phase shift that is due to slightly nondegenerate two-wave mixing that compensates for cavity detuning and satisfies the round-trip phase condition for steady-state oscillation. The measured onset or threshold of oscillation as a function of photorefractive gain and intensity agrees with theory.