Overall rectification and second harmonic generation of space charge waves

Abstract

The effects of overall rectification and second-harmonic generation of space-charge waves in photorefractive crystals were reliably detected. The effect of overall rectification results in variations of the dc current flowing in a circuit containing a photorefractive crystal and a voltage source when space-charge waves are excited in the crystal. In the experiments, variations in the dc current reached 20%. Two mechanisms responsible for second-harmonic generation were experimentally revealed. The theory of the observed effects is briefly described.