Abstract

In this paper, we present the results of theoretical analysis and experimental investigation of contradirectional two-wave mixing with partially coherent waves in photorefractive crystals. Let E₁(z, t)exp-(−iωt + ikz) and E₂(z, t)exp(−iωt − ikz) be the coupled quasi-monochromatic pump and signal waves. Because the complex amplitudes E₁(t, z) and E₂(t, z) are stationary random processes of time t, we can define the corresponding selfcoherence functions and mutual coherence function as ${\Gamma }_{12}\left(\text{z},\Delta \text{t}\right)\equiv 〈{\text{E}}_1\left(\text{z},{\text{t}}_1\right){\text{E}}_2^{*}\left(\text{z},{\text{t}}_2\right)〉$, ${\Gamma }_{11}\left(\text{z},\Delta \text{t}\right)\equiv 〈{\text{E}}_1\left(\text{z},{\text{t}}_1\right){\text{E}}_1^{*}\left(\text{z},{\text{t}}_2\right)〉$, and ${\Gamma }_{22}\left(\text{z},\Delta \text{t}\right)\equiv 〈{\text{E}}_2\left(\text{z},{\text{t}}_1\right){\text{E}}_2^{*}\left(\text{z},{\text{t}}_2\right)〉$, where Δt = t – t₂.

© 1996 Optical Society of America