Photorefractive device and process for its use

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
An imaging array consisting of a plurality of photorefractive devices connected electrically in parallel, each said photorefractive device being comprised of first and second electrical biasing means for establishing a potential gradient between first and second spaced locations and, interposed between said first and second electrical biasing means, intermediate means capable of optically coupling two spatially intersecting beams of electromagnetic radiation when a potential gradient is applied to said intermediate means by said first and second electrical biasing means, characterized in that said intermediate means consists of a photorefractive medium comprised of a homogeneous charge neutral organic photoconductor containing organic noncentrosymmetric molecular dipoles capable of imparting to said photorefractive medium a second order polarization susceptibility of greater than 10.
sup.
-9 esu, said molecular dipoles each containing an electron donor moiety linked through a conjugated .
pi.
bonding system to an electron acceptor moiety.
2.
An imaging array according to claim 1 further characterized in that said photorefractive medium is coated on a transparent support having a lower refractive index than said photorefractive medium and said first and second electrodes are located at laterally displaced locations along said photorefractive medium.
3.
An imaging array according to claim 2 further characterized in that a transparent dielectric cladding layer having a refractive index less than that of said photorefractive medium.
4.
An imaging array according to claim 3 further characterized in that said first and second electrodes are located on said cladding layer.
5.
An imaging array according to claim 2 further characterized in that said first and second electrodes are located on said transparent support.
6.
An imaging array according to claim 5 further characterized in that said first and second electrodes are transparent.
7.
An imaging array according to claim 2 further characterized in that said first electrode is comprised of a plurality of laterally spaced segments and said second electrode is comprised of a plurality of laterally spaced segments, one segment of said second electrode being located between and laterally spaced from successive segments of said first electrode