Heavy fluorocarbon liquids for a phase-conjugated stimulated Brillouin scattering mirror.

Heavy fluorocarbon liquids were found to be an ideal medium for high-power stimulated Brillouin scattering experiments. Fluorinert FC-75 gives high reflectivity, near 98%, and excellent fidelity in phase conjugation of 14-J, 18-ns optical pulses. The complete removal of microparticle impurities was found to be essential for avoiding laser damage in a high-energy operation. A method of purification based on ultrafiltration has been developed.