Introduction

Abstract

Research and development in laser physics and nonlinear optics have been rapidly expanding over the last twenty years, and many applications of photonics are now relevant to the industrial and consumer markets. Also, it is expected that photonics will disseminate in the near future in new, important areas such as medicine, biology, and nanotechnologies. A major factor behind such impressive growth is the advent of high-powered and efficient solid-state lasers in combination with the use of materials that exhibit large second- or third-order nonlinearities. In such conditions, nonlinear optics is becoming an important technology in the design of new laser sources emitting in the visible or near IR. Nonlinear optics also enables the attainment of new functionalities in laser systems and optoelectronic signal transmission and processing. The class of nonlinear phenomena based on the photorefractive effects in electrooptical crystals will undoubtedly play a major role for these different applications of laser photonics.