Crystallographic fringe orientation diffraction efficiency in bismuth silicon oxide

Abstract

We report the first experimental measurement of fringe-angle applied electric field scaling of space charge growth and of crystallographic orientation effects in the initial development of the diffraction efficiency of thick holograms produced by the photorefractive effect in a bismuth silicon oxide (BSO) crystal. Diffraction efficiencies of holograms made by interfering two plane waves on the [¯110] face are measured as a function of the angle between the fringe pattern and the applied electric field. As the crystal is rotated relative to the interference fringes, the applied field may be scaled to yield identical space charge growth. Polarization-dependent diffraction measurements agree with the theory of a birefringent grating when optical activity is included as a separate, serial effect. Both the rotation-scaled applied electric fields and the crystallographic variations in the birefringent diffraction grating are consistent with charge transport processes in which the initial space charge fields are perpendicular to the interference fringes over growth times extending nearly into the steady state regime.