Theoretical analysis of two-step holographic recording with high-intensitypulses - art. no. 023813

We develop a full numerical as well as an approximate analytic solution for two-step holographic recording with high intensity pulses in LiNbO3:Fe cry stals. We find the unknown material parameters by fitting the numerical sol ution to the experimental results. The two important parameters that were u nknown so far and found in this work are the bulk photovoltaic coefficient and absorption cross section for the excitation of the electrons from small polarons in LiNbO3 with infrared light. We show that the approximate analy tic solution agrees very well with the numerical solution (as well as the e xperimental results) for most practical applications. We use the analytic s olution to explain the experimental observations that were not understood b efore.