OPTICAL POWER TRANSFER OF SINGLE-MODE LASER BEAMS THROUGH DISTORTING MEDIA USING A SEMILINEAR PHASE CONJUGATE MIRROR

We report experiments on the use of a semilinear phase-conjugate mirror to transfer single-mode laser beams through distorting media. Calculations using a 1-D model show that in optimum circumstances, up to 90% of the input power can be transferred to the system output whilst experimentally 23% power transfer has been observed limited by the absorption and gain in our Barium Titanate crystal. We have also studied seeding the semilinear mirror with a separate beam as a means of starting its oscillation in conditions where high power transfer efficiency is required and investigated regions of bistability in the output which also occur in this regime.