# Spatial rogue waves in photorefractive SBN crystals

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the excitation of large-amplitude, rogue-like waves in photorefractive SBN crystals using a simple experimental setup, revealing two main dynamical regimes influenced by applied voltage.

## Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of rogue wave phenomena in photorefractive crystals and models these dynamics with a 2D Schrödinger equation with saturable nonlinearity.

## Key findings

- Large-amplitude waves occur with ~1% probability.
- Two dynamical regimes identified: caustic and speckling.
- Experimental results align with a 2D Schrödinger model.

## Abstract

We report on the excitation of large-amplitude waves, with a probability of around 1% of total peaks, on a photorefractive SBN crystal by using a simple experimental setup at room temperature. We excite the system using a narrow Gaussian beam and observe different dynamical regimes tailored by the value and time rate of an applied voltage. We identify two main dynamical regimes: a caustic one for energy spreading and a speckling one for peak emergence. Our observations are well described by a two-dimensional Schr\"odinger model with saturable local nonlinearity.