Interferometric measurements of electrostrictive coefficients of KDP and ADP in transmission

Abstract Results of an investigation of the electrostrictive effect in KDP and ADP crystals are presented. The measurements at RT of the sign and magnitude of some electrostrictive coefficients were made in transmission with a stabilized Michelson interferometer by placing the crystals in two media of different refractive index. The results obtained are of the order of 10−20 m2V−2. These values are much smaller than those measured previously at RT by employing a static electric field. However, our results are comparable in magnitude with others obtained at low temperatures and with those found by using dynamic fields.