Photorefractive waveguides

Photorefractive effects in optical waveguides link two interesting research areas: First, light-induced refractive index changes in optical materials, and second waveguide structures that are the basis for integrated optical devices. In the last two decades several devices based on photorefractive waveguides have been proposed, and static and dynamic elements have been experimentally demonstrated. Two of these applications of photorefractive waveguides will be discussed in more detail. Permanent refractive index gratings in waveguide devices are of considerable interest for, e.g., integrated waveguide lasers or wavelength multiplexers that make use of the high spectral selectivity of holographic filters. Thermal fixing of holographic gratings has been investigated in channel LiNbO3:Ti:Fe waveguides. A wavelength filter for infrared light around 1.55 micrometer has been fabricated with a peak reflectivity of over 99%, a bandwidth of 0.1 nm and nearly polarization independent properties. As another example, we have demonstrated the formation of photorefractive spatial solitons in a planar strontium-barium niobate waveguide. In such a geometry (1 + 1)-dimensional solitons are formed in a true (1 + 1)- dimensional medium, thus getting rid of the transverse instability that is inherent to soliton propagation in bulk crystals. We show that coherent collisions between two photorefractive solitons result in fusion, repelling, energy exchange, or the creation of a third soliton.