Abstract

We have experimentally demonstrated for the first time a laser energy scaling technique, based on a phase conjugate oscillator/amplifier scheme, which allows coupling several parallel amplifiers to form a single coherent output beam. This coherence is achieved despite dramatic differences in the individual amplifier energies and optical path lengths. Phase errors that would inevitably arise in passing the oscillator beam through individual parallel amplifiers are compensated using nonlinear optical phase conjugation.

© 1985 Optical Society of America