Photorefractive particle image velocimetry: performance enhancement with bismuth silicon oxide crystals.

The polarization properties of diffraction from bismuth silicon oxide crystals are used to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of a photorefractive particle image velocimeter. We explain these diffraction characteristics by using a simple picture of the processing steps and the beam-propagation method, accounting for the multiplicity of the recorded gratings. Experimental measurements are also presented.