Fast numerical simulation of diffraction from large volume holograms.

An efficient way to numerically calculate diffraction from large volume holograms is developed using the first-order Born approximation. For this, everything except the propagating part of the Green's function is neglected, and the fact that the gratings have a slowly varying envelope is used. The results of the new method are compared with analytical solutions of plane-wave diffraction with absorption, with phase-conjugated readout of a hologram recorded with a point source, and with numerical simulations of shift multiplexing with high-numerical-aperture microscope objectives.

Dynamics of holographic recording with focused beams in iron-doped lithium niobate crystals.

Holograms are recorded with focused beams in an iron-doped lithium niobate crystal. The diffraction efficiency shows a maximum after several seconds of recording, unlike in the case of writing with two homogeneous plane waves in the same crystal. This behavior can be attributed to a compensation field caused by incomplete illumination of the crystal.

Surface-wave interferometry on single subwavelength slit-groove structures fabricated on gold films.

We apply the technique of far-field interferometry to measure the properties of surface waves generated by two-dimensional (2D) single subwavelength slit-groove structures on gold films. The effective surface index of refraction n(surf) measured for the surface wave propagating over a distance of more than 12 mum is determined to be n(surf) = 1.016+/-0.

Bragg selectivity of space-charge gratings in multidomain lithium niobate crystals.

It is shown experimentally and theoretically that a partial domain reversal in ferroelectric lithium niobate crystals containing a previously imprinted photorefractive space-charge grating results in a highly unusual change of the angular Bragg selectivity. This carries important in situ information about domain structures, including the quality of periodically poled samples.