Pockels effect

...The relaxation time of the Kerr effect of nitrobenzene is extremely short, about ^10-8 seconds, and the birefringence disappears immediately when the electric field is removed, so it is used as a high-speed optical shutter that can be electrically operated. In crystals without central symmetry, there is a phenomenon in which the difference in refractive index between extraordinary and ordinary rays is proportional to the electric field, and this is called the Pockels effect. This effect is large in ferroelectric crystals such as KDP (potassium dihydrogen phosphate) and ADP (ammonium dihydrogen phosphate), and in antiferroelectric crystals. ...

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention the "Pockels effect" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…ニトロベンゼンのカー効果の緩和時間が10^－8秒程度ときわめて短く，電場がなくなると複屈折性も直ちに消失するので，これは電気的に操作のできる高速の光シャッターとして用いられる。なお，中心対称性のない結晶では，異常光線と常光線の屈折率の差が電場に比例して生ずる現象があり，これはポッケルス効果Pockels effectと呼ばれる。KDP(リン酸二水素カリウム)やADP(二水素リン酸アンモニウム)などの強誘電体や，反強誘電体の結晶でこの効果が大きい。…

※「Pockels effect」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報