Phase shifts of photorefractive gratings and phase-conjugate waves

Abstract

We present measurements of the two-wave mixing gain as a function of frequency detuning in photorefractive crystals. In many cases, this function is asymmetric, indicating that the phase shift of the photorefractive index grating with respect to the light interference pattern is not exactly 90°, as is often assumed. In four-wave mixing, the phase of the phase-conjugate wave contains the phase of the pumping and probe waves and a phase shift determined by the interaction taking place in the nonlinear medium. This second term, the phase shift of the phase conjugator, is a function of the type of grating and the phase shift of this grating. The phase shift of the grating obtained from the two-wave mixing measurements compares well with that obtained from four-wave mixing measurements of the phase of the phase conjugator.