Light-induced dielectric structures and enhanced self-focusing in critical photorefractive ferroelectrics
We consider the nonlinear dynamics occurring when an optical beam couples to dielectric material polarization in an unbiased photorefractive crystal undergoing a ferroelectric phase transition. The polarization profile produced by the light-induced electric field is evaluated by means of the Landau-...
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Published in | Optics letters Vol. 34; no. 21; p. 3295 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
01.11.2009
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Online Access | Get more information |
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Summary: | We consider the nonlinear dynamics occurring when an optical beam couples to dielectric material polarization in an unbiased photorefractive crystal undergoing a ferroelectric phase transition. The polarization profile produced by the light-induced electric field is evaluated by means of the Landau-Ginzburg approach and is found to manifest new thermodynamical states with their own specific nonlinear optical effects. We show that a temperature T(C), lower than the critical one, exists such that (a) if T>T(C) the optical beam experiences an increasing self-focusing for decreasing temperatures and (b) if T<T(C) the optical beam allows the existence of thermodynamically metastable states associated with an optical ultra-self-focusing effect. |
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ISSN: | 1539-4794 |
DOI: | 10.1364/OL.34.003295 |