Spatial switching of an optical signal in a defocusing photorefractive crystal
The method of spatial switching of the propagation direction of an optical signal, based on the effect of signal wave reflection upon interaction with a high-power pump beam in bulk photorefractive media with defocusing nonlinearity has been considered for the first time. Criteria of signal reflection from a pump-induced optical inhomogeneity in a material are determined. Trajectories of the signal wave center are obtained for characteristic reflection parameters.