Abstract

Phase conjugation in a Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorber by degenerate four-wave mixing with nanosecond pulses at λ = 1.06 μm is demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge. An experimental phase-conjugate energy reflectivity of ~2% and an overall efficiency of ~0.4% are achieved. Because of the presence of absorbing dipoles oriented along specific directions, it is shown that the phase-conjugated beam can be made orthogonally polarized relative to the signal beam or to both pump beams with almost no reduction of the energy reflectivity.

© 1996 Optical Society of America

Anisotropic properties of pulsed four-wave mixing in Cr⁴⁺:YAG saturable absorbers

Arnaud Brignon
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 13(10) 2154-2163 (1996)

Dual Q switching and laser action at 1.06 and 1.44 μm in a Nd³⁺:YAG–Cr⁴⁺:YAG oscillator at 300 K

K. Spariosu, W. Chen, R. Stultz, M. Birnbaum, and A. V. Shestakov
Opt. Lett. 18(10) 814-816 (1993)

In-line Nd:YAG resonator using self-pumped phase conjugation in Cr⁴⁺:YAG

P. Sillard, C. Grange, A. Brignon, and J.-P. Huignard
Opt. Lett. 23(1) 37-39 (1998)

Temporal analysis of pulsed phase conjugation in laser amplifiers: application to Nd:YVO₄

A. Brignon
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 13(8) 1748-1757 (1996)

Self-pumped phase conjugation in BaTiO₃ at 1.06 μm

B. T. Anderson, P. R. Forman, and F. C. Jahoda
Opt. Lett. 10(12) 627-628 (1985)