NUMERICAL-SIMULATION OF THE TIME EVOLUTION OF PHOTOREFRACTIVE PHASE-CONJUGATE BEAMS - MULTIGRATING OPERATION

A numerical method to simulate the photorefractive phase conjugation p rocess in rather general conditions, pump depletion and multigrating o peration, has been developed. Previous theoretical works had been esse ntially devoted to study the steady state situation. With this numeric al calculation we can analyze the time evolution of the phase conjugat e beam when all gratings are operative. The response to time-modulated signals can also be simulated. Finally, the numerical method can be a dapted to simulate the performance of self-pumped phase conjugators. T he method has been applied to study the temporal behavior of phase con jugate signals in the standard four-wave mixing configuration in a BaT iO3 crystal.