Efficient polarization switching with holographic cut cubic crystals

Nonlinear optical transformation from one linear polarization state to another perpendicularly polarized, attracted interest in recent years primarily as a method to increase the temporal contrast of femtosecond pulses [1]. This is crucially important for the interaction of ultra-intense femtosecond laser pulses with solid-state targets. All efficient schemes realized so far use [001] cut (z-cut) BaF2 samples. It is of great interest to search for new types of crystals and/or for different orientations that can yield higher efficiencies. We report here results with holographic-cut BaF2 samples that proved to be 30 % more efficient generator of cross-polarized wave (XPW) than the previously used z-cut.