An optical valve is realized by associating a nematic liquid crystal layer with a Cr-doped gallium arsenide as a photoconductive substrate. The light-valve is shown to efficiently operate in transmission at 1.06 μm optical wavelength. The optical phase shift and refractive index change are measured as a function of the incident light intensity and of the voltage applied. Additionally the light-valve is shown to act as a self-defocusing medium. Combining transmissive properties and nonlinear features, applications for dynamic holography in the near-infrared region of the spectrum can be envisaged.
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