This presentation will be centered around the photorefractive effect, particularly, photorefractive beam coupling.  Over the years, we have improved beam coupling in various geometries using novel photorefractive materials.  Both inorganic and hybrid (organic-inorganic) photorefractive materials will be discussed, as well as the methods of improving these novel materials to give more efficient beam coupling.  Techniques to increase the space charge field and the optical gain will be explored for inorganic systems; the enhancement of the beam coupling gain in liquid crystal photorefractive hybrids through the use of ferroelectric nanoparticles will also be explored, with an emphasis on the production and characterization of 9 nm ferroelectric nanoparticle – a size that has never been achieved in the past.