Limitations to the Performance of Nonlinear Optical Devices

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This program will study how the performance of some specific nonlinear optical devices can become degraded through effects such as the development of instabilities, competition of the desired process with undesired subsidiary nonlinear optical processes, and through the influence of higher-order nonlinear optical interactions. One aspect of the work will involve experimental and theoretical studies of the stability characteristics of two interacting laser beams. Any instabilities that develop in such beams are particularly important in that they could lead to a degradation in the performance of any optical device that involves intense laser fields. This portion of the work will include studies aimed at determining how the threshold and nature of the instability depend on the geometry of the interaction and on the physical properties of the nonlinear optical medium. For definiteness, the remainder of the proposed work will concentrate on limitations in the performance of one specific class of nonlinear optical devices, that of phase-conjugate mirrors. Phase conjugate mirrors based both on degenerate four-wave mixing and on stimulated Brillouin scattering will be studied. Theoretical work will include numerical modeling of the phase conjugate mirror with the goal of optimizing its performance. Experimental work will include measurements aimed at quantifying the achievable device performance and in characterizing any degradation in performance.