We demonstrate the extension of the photorefractive effect in BaTiO3 crystals to the 1.5-mu m wavelength regime, which is obtained by two-photon absorption induced by intense femtosecond light pulses. The strong dependence of the effect on the light's intensity permits nondestructive readout of the photorefractively induced pattern by low-intensity light. One can thus use the photorefractive effect in the 1.5-mu m regime to form optical components for communication applications. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America