Analysis of Photorefractive BTO crystal using Jones Matrix

Tanushrii Babu Ramesh1, Surya Kumar Gautam2*, Dinesh N Naik2, Rakesh Kumar Singh3, C. S.
Narayanamurthy2
1
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India
2
Applied and Adaptive Optics lab, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum, India
3
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
*Corresponding author: suryagautam89@gmail.com
Abstract: We present a double shot interferometric polarimetry approach to measure Jones matrix
of BTO crystal. This method is fast, simple yet effective and useful to characterize and analyze the
polarization modulation induced by photorefractive Bismuth Titanyl Oxide (BTO) crystal.

1. Introduction

Sillenite-type Bismuth oxide compounds such as Bi12SiO20 (BSO), Bi12GeO20 (BGO) and Bi12TiO20 (BTO) exhibit
a number of interesting optical properties such as electro-optical and the photoconductivity, and therefore are called
photorefractive because their refractive index can be modified temporarily by exposing them to light [1]. Due to
these properties, these crystals are useful in developing a wide variety of devices such as spatial light modulators,
hologram recording devices, phase conjugation and photorefractive incoherent-to-coherent optical converters.

BTO crystal has some advantages over the other Sillenite crystals such as lowest rotator power, higher electro-
optic coefficient and larger sensitivity to red light [2]. Therefore, it is used extensively for high energy operation and
holographic memory. However, before BTO crystal can be used in any of these applications, its optical properties
need to be characterized.

Here we present a double shot interferometric polarimetry to characterize and analyze the photorefractive BTO
crystal by accurately measuring its Jones matrix. This method also enables us to capture the vector amplitude and
phase leading to resultant polarization information of the modulated light passing through the BTO crystal. To
measure Jones matrix, the proposed method uses two recordings of interference of light that passes through the
crystal with the X and Y polarized reference beams, by illuminating the crystal with input light of +450 and -450
polarization states respectively. In each recorded interference image, a mesh-like carrier frequency modulated
pattern is formed by the interference of the two orthogonal reference waves (X and Y) with their corresponding field
components in the light modulated via the BTO crystal. To record such interference patterns, we used the
experimental setup shown in Fig.1.

Figure 1 Experimental Setup for measuring Jones Matrix of BTO crystal

2. Theory
𝑈𝑥
Let us assume for the incident coherent light Jones vector with components along X and Y directions is 𝑈 = �𝑈 �,
𝑦
where 𝑈𝑥 and 𝑈𝑦 are complex functions. The modulated light from the BTO crystal is described by a 2×2 Jones
𝐸𝑥
matrix 𝐽 [3-4], such that the output Jones vector 𝐸 = �𝐸 � is related to the input Jones vector through the matrix
𝑦
equation

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 𝐸𝑥 𝐽𝑥𝑥 𝐽𝑥𝑦 𝑈𝑥
�𝐸 � = � �� � (1)
𝑦 𝐽𝑦𝑥 𝐽𝑦𝑦 𝑈𝑦

If we can characterize the crystal by specifying its Jones matrix, we would be able to understand completely the
effect of the crystal on an incident wave with a specific state of polarization.

1
For +450 input polarized light 𝑈 = � �, the output vector components can be written as Eqs. (2-3). Similarly for -
1
450 input polarized light, the corresponding output vector components can be written as Eqs. (4-5)

𝐸𝑥+ = 𝐽𝑥𝑥 + 𝐽𝑥𝑦 (2) 𝐸𝑥− = 𝐽𝑥𝑥 − 𝐽𝑥𝑦 (4)

𝐸𝑦+ = 𝐽𝑦𝑥 + 𝐽𝑦𝑦 (3) 𝐸𝑦− = 𝐽𝑦𝑥 − 𝐽𝑦𝑦 (5)

From the four equations above, Jones matrix elements of the BTO crystal can be derived

1 1
𝐽𝑥𝑥 = (𝐸𝑥+ + 𝐸𝑥− ) (6) 𝐽𝑥𝑦 = (𝐸𝑥+ − 𝐸𝑥− ) (7)
2 2

1 1
𝐽𝑦𝑥 = (𝐸𝑦+ + 𝐸𝑦− ) (8) 𝐽𝑦𝑦 = (𝐸𝑦+ − 𝐸𝑦− ) (9)
2 2

The four field components described in Eqs. (2-5) are retrieved through Fourier transform method of fringe analysis
[5] of two recorded interferograms. Using derived Eq. (6-9), all four elements of Jones matrix are retrieved in two
shots.

3. Results and Conclusion

Using the purposed method, we are able to record all four elements of the Jones matrix. Fig.2 shows the X and Y
components of modulated output electric field with amplitudes 𝐸𝑥 and 𝐸𝑦 and corresponding phases, when the +450
polarized light passes through the BTO crystal. Using this field value we can extract the polarization state of output
electric field and also by capturing similar way with -450 polarized lights we can extract the Jones Matrix using the
derived equations which help us to maximize the crystal efficiency to use it in any of the mentioned applications.

(a) (𝑏)

(c) (𝑑)

Fig 2 : Modulated output electric field (a) 𝑬𝒙 amplitude (b) 𝑬𝒙 phase (c) 𝑬𝒚 amplitude (d) 𝑬𝒚 phase

4. Reference
[1]Buse; K. Appl. Phys. B, n. 64, p. 273, 1997.
[2] Arizmendi, L.; Cabrera, J.M.; Agulló-López, F. Int. J. Optoelectronics, n. 7, p. 149, 1992.
[3] M. M. Sreelal, R. V. Vinu, and Rakesh Kumar Singh, "Jones matrix microscopy from a single-shot intensity measurement," Opt. Lett. 42,
5194-5197 (2017)
[4]V. Aparna, N. K. Soni, R. V. Vinu, and R. K. Singh, Proc. SPIE 10074,100741P (2017).
[5] Takeda, M., Ina, H. and Kobayashi, S.,“Fourier-transform method of fringe-pattern analysis for computer-based
topography and interferometry” J. Opt. Soc. Am., 72, 156 (1982).

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