Optical phase conjugation in nonresonant and saturable absorptive/resonant systems

Abstract

Recent results obtained at Alabama A&M University on optical phase conjugation in electrically unpoled BaTiO₃, BANANA and SBN crystals are presented. The decay curves of the transient gratings and phase conjugation in these crystals indicate the involvement of more than one exponential process, possible reasons for which are indicated. Self induced gratings have been studied in electrically unpoled SBN crystal using a He-Ne Laser. The oscillations in a ring passive phase conjugator (RPPC) and in a unidirectional ring resonator using an electrically poled BaTiO₃ crystal have, been found to be bistable. It is also found that bistable oscillations are possible in a geometry in which the crystal is used simultaneously in a RPPC and as a linear passive phase conjugate (LPCC) mirror. The auxiliary oscillations pumped by the RPPC are bistable with the oscillations in LPCC. A brief review of the recent literature on phase conjugation in saturable absorptive/resonant systems along with the experiments planned to be undertaken by the authors on such systems are presented.