Threshold analysis is performed for the cat conjugator, using our own
method for the analysis of photorefractive optical circuits. An altern
ative road to obtaining threshold couplings and reflectivities of phot
orefractive oscillators is presented, leading to an improved understan
ding of their operation. The existence of a threshold curve in the pla
ne of coupling constants is established. It is found that the device p
referably starts and operates in the two interaction regions where the
coupling strengths are unequal. (C) 1997 Eisevier Science B.V.