Abstract

Referring to Fig. 1, we describe an interferometer that employs one of the recently discovered mutually pumped phase conjugators^1–3 (MPPCs) as a mirror in a Sagnac ring configuration. Light incident on one side of the MPPC exits from the opposite side. In this sense, the MPPC acts like a reflector, and consequently the phase conjugate ring interferometer (PCRI) shown in Fig. 1 behaves like a Sagnac ring interferometer. However, light exiting from each side of the MPPC Is the spatial phase conjugate of the light incident on that side. Therefore, unlike a Sagnac, the PCRI has a large field of view and can correct for wavefront distortions; thus the PCRI resembles a phase conjugate Michelson interferometer.

© 1988 Optical Society of America