Molybdenum‐doped barium titanate crystals have been grown and characterized. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy has confirmed the presence of Mo5+centers inreducedcrystals that correlate with a strong optical absorption band at ∼600 nm. Self‐pumped phase‐conjugation and electro‐optic beam‐coupling measurements indicate that the reduced crystals are photorefractive in the visible, as well as the near‐infrared wavelength region. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.