MODES OF PHASE-CONJUGATE RESONATORS WITH BOUNDED MIRRORS

The diffraction losses of phase-conjugate resonators with bounded mirrors are shown to depend only on two dimensionless parameters. The hemispherical phase-conjugate resonator is shown to yield a fundamental mode with minimum loss among all phase-conjugate resonators with the same mirror dimensions. Proof is given that the diffraction losses around the phase-conjugate mirror are larger than the diffraction losses around the conventional mirror; hence diffraction coupling is more efficient around the phase-conjugate mirror. Numerical results support these conclusions.