ABSTRACT

This chapter describes photorefractive (PR) effect, which is a light-induced change of the refractive index that involves photogenerated charge carrier redistribution, in organic materials. A process of photorefractive grating formation, which can be viewed as creation of a dynamic hologram, is discussed and relevant physical mechanisms are outlined. Experimental geometries widely used in assessing photorefractive performance and utilized in applications are presented. Key elements of design of photorefractive organic materials are summarized, and examples of high-performance materials are provided. Selected applications of photorefractive materials are described and illustrated.