Holographic storage properties of In:Fe:Mn:LiNbO₃ crystals

In:Fe:Mn:LiNbO₃(LN) crystals were grown in air atmosphere by Czochralski method with different concentration of In (0, 1, 2, 3 mol%) in the melts, while the contents of Fe₂O₃ and MnO were 0.1 and 0.5 mol%, respectively. The location of doping ions was analyzed by Ultravioletvisible absorption spectra and differential thermal analysis. The diffraction efficiency (η), writing time (τ_e) and erasure time (τ_e) of the crystals were measured by two-beam coupling experiment. The dynamic range and photorefractive sensitivity have also been calculated. The results showed that with the increase of In ions in the melt, the absorption edge of In:Fe:Mn:LN crystal shifts to the violet firstly and then makes the Einstein shift, the Curie temperature of crystal increases firstly and then decreases, the storage ratio speeds up, diffraction efficiency decreases, and dynamic range and photorefractive sensitivity increase. The mechanism of holographic storage properties of In:Fe: Mn:LN crystal with different doping concentration of In³⁺ was investigated, suggesting the In: Fe:Mn:LN crystals are excellent holographic storage materiel with better synthetical properties than Fe:Mn:LN crystals.