Polarization properties of transmission and diffraction in BSO—a unified analysis

Abstract

The evolution of polarization in holographically coupled beams traversing bismuth silicon oxide (BSO) in the E⊥(1¯10) configuration is analyzed. The phenomena of electrical birefringence, optical activity, and holographic diffraction are taken into account in a unified and exact manner. The holographic grating is assumed to be static and to be created uniformly in a prior step. Formulas are derived that readily describe quantitatively the amplitudes, azimuth, and ellipticity of the polarization at any depth in the crystal. This analysis extends the research of others [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. B3, 321 ( 1986);J. Opt. Soc. Am. A4, 325 ( 1987)]. Relevant literature is reviewed. Simple examples of applications are presented, as well as experimental work relating to parameter quantification.