We demonstrate the high‐contrast polarization‐rotation switching in semi‐insulating CdTe:Ga using a 30‐ps pump and probe pulses at a wavelength of 1.064 &mgr;m. It is found that the maximum switching contrast in the photorefractive cross‐polarization beam coupling configuration is about eight times higher for CdTe:Ga compared to undoped GaAs at fluences above 10 mJ/cm2. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.