Optical phase conjugation: principles, techniques, and applications

Abstract Over the last three decades, optical phase conjugation (OPC) has been one of the major research subjects in the field of nonlinear optics and quantum electronics. OPC defines usually a special relationship between two coherent optical beams propagating in opposite directions with reversed wave front and identical transverse amplitude distributions. The unique feature of a pair of phase-conjugate beams is that the aberration influence imposed on the forward beam passed through an inhomogeneous or disturbing medium can be automatically removed for the backward beam passed through the same disturbing medium. To date there have been three major technical approaches that can efficiently produce the backward phase-conjugate beam. The first approach is based on the degenerate (or partially degenerate) four-wave mixing processes, the second is based on various backward simulated (Brillouin, Raman, Rayleigh-wing or Kerr) scattering processes, and the third is based on one-photon or multi-photon pumped backward stimulated emission (lasing) processes. Among these three different approaches, there is a common physical mechanism that plays the same essential role in generating a backward phase-conjugate beam, which is the formation of the induced holographic grating and the subsequent wave-front restoration via a backward reading beam. In most experimental studies, certain types of resonance enhancements of induced refractive-index changes are desirable for obtaining higher grating-refraction efficiency. The momentum of OPC studies has recently become even stronger because there are more prospective potentials and achievements for applications. OPC-associated techniques can be successfully utilized in many different application areas: such as high-brightness laser oscillator/amplifier systems, cavity-less lasing devices, laser target-aiming systems, aberration correction for coherent-light transmission and reflection through disturbing media, long distance optical fiber communications with ultra-high bit-rate, optical phase locking and coupling systems, and novel optical data storage and processing systems.