Self-stabilized recording of fixed gratings at high temperature in LiNbO_3:Fe

Abstract

A high quality fixed holographic grating was recorded in a photorefractive LiNbO(3):Fe crystal at about 100 degrees C in a homemade temperature-controlled vacuum chamber. The recording was carried out using self-stabilization techniques with lambda=532 nm beams guided onto the crystal by polarization maintaining fibers. The diffraction efficiency of the fixed grating was eta=0.44 when measured in the recording setup using the same lambda=532 nm recording beams. A compatible eta was measured with lambda=633 nm in an auxiliary setup, and a 1 mrad angular Bragg selectivity at FWMH was estimated, thus demonstrating the uniformity and good quality of the fixed grating.