Description of readout processes during strong beam coupling.

We show, using the symmetry properties of the coupled-wave equations for the transmission and reflection geometries, that any readout characteristic of dynamic spatially nonuniform index gratings in photorefractive crystals can be explicitly expressed through the characteristics of the recording light beams. This approach is applied to describe the impact of beam coupling on the diffraction efficiency of dynamic gratings and on the output intensities of the light beams at instantaneous input phase changes (light grating translation). Further implications of this general approach are discussed.