A review of phase-conjugate solid-state lasers

Phase conjugation by stimulated Brillouin scattering represents a fundamentally promising approach for achieving power scaling of solid-state lasers. Following a summary of the power scaling problem and an overview of phase conjugation concepts, a review is presented of the application of phase conjugation to solid-state lasers. The author describes power scaling using demonstrated techniques for compensating static and thermally induced aberrations and depolarizations, as well as energy scaling by coherent coupling of multiple-gain media. Applications to diode-pumped lasers are discussed, as is a novel approach for power scaling of diode lasers themselves. Future research directions are indicated regarding conjugation fidelity at increasingly higher energies or with short-pulse and/or broadband lasers