Abstract

A phase conjugate mirror can be used for correcting phase distortions of a wave field because it reverses the phase front of an incoming wave. However, if the phase distortions evolve into amplitude modulations of the wave, the recovery of the wave becomes difficult. In this paper we investigate the recovery of light which is distorted by turbulence scattering. When this scattering is weak, random phase modulations can be canceled when the light is returned from a phase conjugate mirror. However, when the turbulence scattering becomes strong the random phase modulations will evolve into random amplitude fluctuations. In this situation, the incident light on the random medium cannot be recovered. The standard deviation of a wave field, which has propagated through a turbulent medium, reflected by a phase conjugate mirror, and again passed through the same turbulent medium, is evaluated. A zero or small standard deviation implies good recovery of the light.

© 1989 Optical Society of America