Jean-Luc Ayral

Rhodium-doped barium titanate phase-conjugate mirror for an all-solid-state, high-repetition-rate, diode-pumped Nd:YAG master-oscillator power amplifier laser

Self-pumped phase conjugation in infrared-sensitive photorefractive rhodium-doped barium titanate (Rh:BaTiO(3)) is investigated with a kilohertz-repetition-rate, diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser. We also demonstrate the operation of a diode-pumped Nd:YAG master-oscillator power-amplifier system with such a compact and solid-state phase-conjugate mirror for wave-front restoration. We obtain near-diffraction-limited output pulses of 20-mJ energy at a repetition rate of 200 Hz and a 1-min response time of the phase-conjugate mirror. The performances of the Rh:BaTiO(3) crystal are compared with those obtained with a conventional Brillouin mirror.

Master oscillator-amplifier Nd:YAG laser with a SBS phase-conjugate mirror

A MOPA Nd:YAG laser source incorporating a SBS phase-conjugate mirror delivering 12 ns long 1,6X diffraction-limited pulses at a pumping rate of 10 Hz is experimentally demonstrated. High reflectivity (70-80%) of phase conjugate mirrors using CCIF3 gas near its critical point and CH4 gas with single laser shots is reported. Fidelity of phase conjugation stays high (0.8) with broadband radiation (0.7 cm-1). Output MOPA energies and beam quality are measured as a function of oscillator output energy and amplifier flashlamp pumping level. Advanced beam steering performed with this phase-conjugate laser design is presented.