Abstract

Imaging through distorting media via phase conjugation techniques requires a double-pass transmission of the image field through the same distortion. ¹ Using a phase conjugate window (PCW), complex optical fields can be transmitted through thin distorting media in a single pass.² Since the image-bearing wave is used as one of two pump waves, there always exists an effective phase mismatch between the pump waves. This, however, imposes a limit on this approach. We present and analyze theoretically an alternative method for one-way complex optical field imaging through thin distorting media by conventional phase conjugation and four-wave mixing, in which two planar waves are employed as the pumps. As a result, no phase mismatch exists. Either an original object field (a 3-D field in theory) or the complex conjugate of an original field can be obtained. Also presented is a possible system for experimental implementation. Two identical optical channels are used in the system, one for input object field, another for output conjugate field. It is noted that the distortion here, together with the input image, need not be imaged onto the nonlinear mixing medium, as opposed to the PCW scheme.²

© 1987 Optical Society of America