What is the Difference Between Pockels Effect and Kerr Effect?

The Pockels effect and the Kerr effect are both electro-optic effects that involve changes in the refractive index of a material in response to an applied electric field. However, there are key differences between the two effects:

1. Linearity: The Pockels effect is a linear electro-optic effect, meaning that the change in refractive index or birefringence is proportional to the strength of the applied electric field. In contrast, the Kerr effect is a quadratic effect, meaning that the change in refractive index is proportional to the square of the applied electric field.
2. Birefringence: In the Pockels effect, the change in birefringence is proportional to the electric field. The Kerr effect, on the other hand, does not cause changes in birefringence.
3. Material response: While all materials exhibit the Kerr effect to some degree, certain liquids tend to display it more strongly compared to others. The Pockels effect is typically observed in crystalline materials, such as KDP (Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate), KD*P (Deuterated KDP), and LiNbO3 (Lithium Niobate).

In summary, the main differences between the Pockels effect and the Kerr effect lie in the linearity of their responses to the applied electric field and the fact that the Pockels effect affects birefringence, while the Kerr effect does not. Both effects are important in the field of optics and electro-optics and have various applications, such as high-speed shutters and optical modulators.

Comparative Table: Pockels Effect vs Kerr Effect

The Pockels effect and Kerr effect are both electro-optic effects that involve changes in the refractive index of an optical medium due to an applied electric field. However, there are some key differences between the two effects:

In summary, the Pockels effect is a linear electro-optic effect that produces birefringence in an optical medium proportional to the applied electric field, while the Kerr effect is a nonlinear counterpart that causes changes in the refractive index proportional to the square of the applied electric field.