Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction Analysis of Photorefractive Crystals and their Gratings

High-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction imaging was used to examine the state of crystal perfection in the photorefractive ferroelectric materials barium titanate and strontium barium niobate. Ferroelectric 180 degree domains, dislocations, striations, faceted growth remnants, and other lattice features were identified. The technique was also used to image the photorefractive space charge field profile in-situ. Measurements of the field were compared with numerical simulations of the standard model of the photorefractive effect, and simulations of the x-ray image formation process.