Manipulation of optical patterns by frequency detuning of the pump beams

We show that manipulation and selection of optical patterns is possible by detuning the frequency of one of the two waves in counterpropagating photorefractive two-wave mixing with a feedback mirror. An analytical expression for the onset of modulational instability is derived for the general case of an arbitrary complex coupling constant, including a possible frequency shift of the generated sidebands. The influence of frequency detuning of the pump beams on the spatial scale of the resulting pattern and on the threshold value of the photorefractive coupling strength for modulational instability is investigated. The spatial scale and the frequency detuning of the generated sidebands were measured in an experiment using a photorefractive KNbO3 crystal. Comparison of theory and experiment show agreement for positive frequency detuning of the pump beams. For negative detuning we observe clamping of the spatial scale and no frequency shift of the sidebands. Possible explanations of this deviation between analytical results and experiment are discussed.