Electro-Optic Effects in Crystals: Pockels Linear Electro-Optic and Kerr Quadratic Electro-Optic Effects

Abstract

The development of the laser has largely been responsible for the tremendous growth of interest during the past decade and a half in the study of the electro-optic and nonlinear optical properties of solids. These optical phenomena are applied in fabricating a large number of optical devices such as tunable narrow band interference polarizing monochromators, light modulators, light beam deflectors, frequency shifters, and secondharmonic generators. The electro-optic phenomena as described in this book deal entirely with the effect of an electric field on the index of refraction of materials in the solid state.