A series of Ru:Fe:LiNbO3 crystals with fixed concentration of Fe2O3(0.1 wt%) and varied RuO2 were grown by the Czochralski technique via the optimum growth condition. After growth, the crystals were cut to wafers and then oxidized to Nb2O5 powder. The X-ray diffraction and UV-vis spectra were measured to analyze the defect structure of the crystals. The blue photorefractive properties of Ru:Fe:LiNbO3 crystals were investigated in a two-wave mixing experiment at the wavelength of 476 nm. The results showed that Ru:Fe:LiNbO3 crystals with high concentration of RuO2 are promising candidates for holographic storage. The two-wavelength nonvolatile holographic storage experiment was carried out with sample 6. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.