Compact phase-conjugate mirror utilizing four-wave mixing in a loop configuration
US5726795A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 30, 1996 |
| Grant date | Mar 10, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 30, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/10076
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A compact loop four-wave mixing phase conjugator that can be used in practical optical applications comprises a reflective nonlinear cell, relay optics, an optical gain medium, and an optical diode that together form a unidirectional ring laser resonator. In operation, a signal beam .epsilon..sub.1 is directed to the nonlinear cell, where it passes through a nonlinear medium contained within the cell and is reflected out of the cell as loop beam .epsilon..sub.2. The relay optics direct loop beam .epsilon..sub.2 through the optical diode, optical gain medium, and back to the nonlinear cell, where it intersects and optically interferes with the signal beam .epsilon..sub.1 to form a refractive index grating in the nonlinear medium. The optical diode and gain medium are positioned in the loop so that an oscillation beam .epsilon..sub.3 builds up from optical noise in the resonator and oscillates in a direction counter to the propagation direction of loop beam .epsilon..sub.2. A portion of oscillation beam .epsilon..sub.3 is transmitted by the refractive index grating, reflects off the reflective portion of the nonlinear cell and emerges from the cell as phase conjugate output beam .eps…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.