Transients in light illuminated photorefractive sandwiches in the presence of surface states and of a d.c. voltage

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 186; no. 1; pp. 219 - 229
• Main Authors: Kalinin, V., Solymar, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.2000; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Accumulation layer; Depletion layer; Edge effects; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Nonlinear optics; Optical materials; Optics; Other nonlinear optical materials; photorefractive and semiconductor materials; Phase conjugation, optical mixing, and photorefractive effect; Phase conjugation, optical mixing; photorefractive and kerr effects; Photorefractive material; Physics; Surface state; Thin film; Transient process; 42.65.−k; 72.40.+w; Transient process; Photorefractive material; Edge effects; Depletion layer; Surface state; Thin film; Accumulation layer; Thin films; Depletion layers; Accumulation layers; Edge effect; Numerical solution; Photorefractive materials; Theoretical study; Boundary conditions; Optical materials; Analytical solution; Surface states; Transients
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/S0030-4018(00)01051-8

The response of an insulator–photorefractive film–insulator sandwich is investigated to an input optical beam in the presence of an applied d.c. voltage. First the optical beam is switched on which generates free carriers and causes the appearance of an electric field. Having reached a steady state a voltage is then applied to the sandwich, and the subsequent behaviour of the electron density and of the electric field is analysed as a function of time and space subject to boundary conditions which take into account the dynamics of fast surface states. The mathematical solution obtained describes both the short-time limit when a quasi-steady electron distribution is formed and the long-time limit when the electric field is screened. The role of surface states and that of the attenuation of the optical beam is discussed.