Separating polarization components through the electro-optic read-out of photorefractive solitons

Abstract

Analyzing the propagation dynamics of a light beam of arbitrary linear input polarization in an electro-activated photorefractive soliton we are able to experimentally find the conditions that separate its linear polarization components, mapping them into spatially distinct regions at the crystal output. Extending experiments to the switching scheme based on two oppositely biased solitons, we are able to transform this spatial separation into a separation of two distinct guided modes. The result is a miniaturized electro-optic polarization separator.

Large quadratic electro-optic effect in K0.99Li0.01Ta0.60Nb0.40O3 single crystal

“…This means the cubic KLTN crystal shows QEO behavior. The maximum value of the phase change DF max is 0.186, and the calculated R 11 is 2.08 Â 10 À15 m 2 V À2 according to (5). DF max versus E 2 0 of K 0.99 Li 0.01 Ta 0.60 Nb 0.40 O 3 at different temperatures were shown in Fig.…”

“…For DF ¼ 2plDn/l, we get R 1j ¼ À l pn 3 lE 2 DF: (5) Here l is the length of the sample in laser beam propagating direction, l is the vacuum wavelength, j ¼ 1, 2.…”

“…Potassium lithium tantalate niobate K 1Ày Li y Ta 1Àx Nb x O 3 (KLTN) single crystal is a promising EO material for voltage controlled optical diffractive applications [5,6]. It exhibits unique properties to be the heart of fast wavelength selective electroholographic (EH) switching.…”

Photorefractive solitons of arbitrary and controllable linear polarization determined by the local bias field

“…Here, in the absence of a predetermined optical axis, the symmetry is broken by the local bias field direction, and this implies that birefringence can be changed and tailored on command, without having to change the actual orientation of the crystal. The underlying concept has been recently proposed and demonstrated in electroholography [14] and is the basis for polarization splitting using the (linear) electro-optic read-out of a system of conventional photorefractive solitons [15].…”