Abstract

The properties of the photorefractive effect were investigated using the holographic grating technique in nominally pure LiNbO₃ crystals. Gratings were created with different write-beam crossing angles between 2.5° and 8.0°, and the angular distributions of the scattered probe-beam intensity were measured. Scattering maxima were observed at several different angles, and each spot was found to have a different erasure-decay rate. This is attributed to diffraction from a complex grating having multiple Fourier components. A theoretical method is presented for analyzing these types of data and obtaining information concerning the refractive-index modulation of each component of the grating. Computer fits of small-angle-scattering patterns for each diffraction maximum are shown to provide accurate values for the grating thickness and the grating depth. A comparison is made between results obtained from this technique and those obtained by measurements of the scattering efficiency at the Bragg angle with special attention focused on the importance of beam geometries in laser-induced grating experiments.

© 1986 Optical Society of America

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