Nonstationary amplification of the holographic recording in doped BSO crystals: a base for photorefractive incoherent-to-coherent optical conversion.

An effect of nonstationary amplification of the holographic recording in pure and transition-metal doped crystals of the sillenite type (Bi(12)SiO(20), or BSO), irradiated in advance with light from the red or near-infrared spectrum, is investigated. This amplification can serve as a base for incoherent-tocoherent optical conversion. It is found that BSO crystals doped with iron and cobalt have a highersensitivity and much wider spatial-frequency range, where the effect of the amplification can be observed,compared with nondoped crystals.