Abstract

Phase-conjugate solid-state lasers configured as a master oscillator/power amplifier can produce high-quality, high-energy outputs despite the presence of phase aberrations in the double- passed amplifier leg.¹ Most phase-conjugate mirrors (PCM's), however, cannot compensate for the depolarization caused by thermal birefringence in solid-state laser amplifiers. We are investigating a novel PCM² involving Brillouin-enhanced, four-wave mixing (BEFWM) to achieve phase conjugation and polarization restoration of a laser beam that can be both aberrated and nonuniformly depolarized. As phase-conjugate lasers are scaled to ever higher powers, such a conjugator becomes increasingly useful.

© 1991 Optical Society of America