Abstract

In electrooptic materials illumination often yields a charge redistribution; an electric space charge field arises and modulates the refractive index. This “photorefractive effect” is promising for many applications, eg volume holographic memories, optical interconnections, light amplifiers and phase conjugators. Tailoring of crystals for special applications requires the understanding of light-induced charge transport processes. The charge carriers are excited and trapped at defects and redistributed because of drift, diffusion and the bulk photovoltaic effect.

© 1996 Optical Society of America