Self-aligning phase conjugate laser

Details Self-aligning phase conjugate laser Self-aligning phase conjugate laser

1987-08-11

1989-08-01

Nelms, David C.

Radiant energy

Photocells; circuits and apparatus

Photocell controls its own optical systems

330 43, G01J 120

Patent

active

048535281

ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing a laser beam that is automatically aligned with a substantially rigid, stabilized platform or frame that can be oriented over a wide angular range, such as by the gimbals of a laser pointing and tracking system. A single-transverse-mode master laser oscillator 12 is mounted on the stabilized platform 13 which is part of the inner gimbal, which can be rotated about an elevation axis 16, and a multipass laser amplifier 21 with a phase conjugation mirror 22 and an optional nonlinear frequency-conversion device 20 are located off the inner gimbal. An outer gimbal or pedestal mount permits rotation about an azimuthal axis 17. The laser oscillator 12 and laser amplifier 21 are coupled by means of a beamsplitter 15 and two reflecting elements 18 and 19. The laser media used for the oscillator 12 and amplifier 21 are either the same, or compatible media having the same wavelength. In an alternative embodiment the two reflecting elements are replaced by a flexible light waveguide such as a glass fiber. The phase conjugation mirror 22 compensates the beam for the effects of optical aberrations caused by thermally induced changes in the amplifier medium and the nonlinear medium (if used) and also compensates the beam for angular tilt and jitter in the beam line of sight due to structural flexiblity and motion of the stabilized platform. Four different embodiments are described in which the phase conjugation mirror is based on stimulated Brillouin scattering, degenerate four-wave mixing, three-wave mixing, and photon echo effects, respectively.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4102572 (1978-07-01), O'Meara
patent: 4231534 (1980-11-01), Lintell et al.
patent: 4614913 (1986-09-01), Honeycutt et al.
patent: 4664518 (1987-05-01), Pfund

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