Photorefractive Properties of Ce-Doped Strontium Barium Niobate Single-Crystal Fibers at 830 nm

We have successfully grown strontium barium niobate (SBN) single-crystal fibers doped with up to 0.5 wt% of Ce by the laser-heated pedestal growth method. Their photorefractive properties were investigated systematically as a function of Ce concentration at 830 nm. The diffraction efficiency and two-beam coupling constant both increase with increasing Ce concentration and reach 3.5% and 1.5 cm-1, respectively, at a Ce concentration of 0.5 wt%. The Ce3+ is thought to act as a photorefractive species at near-infrared wavelengths.