Waveguide phase conjugate mirror

US4571954A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• Thomas G. Roberts · Huntsville, US
• Thomas E. Honeycutt · Somerville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 4, 1984
• Grant date: Feb 25, 1986
• Expiry date: Dec 4, 2004

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/307
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A waveguide phase conjugate mirror for high power radiation at 10.6 .mu.m. The phase conjugate mirror comprises an optical waveguide of liquid nitrogen clad by gaseous nitrogen. The waveguide is maintained in a porous tube which allows the gaseous nitrogen to escape through the walls. The tube is also used to maintain a temperature gradient across the radius of the liquid nitrogen waveguide. Pressure in the waveguide, is maintained by a pressure drop across the porous walls of the containing tube. In maintaining the pressure, one or more additional porous tubes may be used around the containing tube with an additional pressure drop across the wall of each tube until a final volume is reached where the pressure may be maintained constant by the use of a small exhaust pump. An optical system such as a window or a lens or both is supplied at the input end for coupling the 10.6 .mu.m laser light into the waveguide mirror. This impinging light will subsequently be reflected back on itself with its phase conjugated by the mirror which the laser light itself produces.