Nonlinear optical properties of the active medium in intracavity phase conjugation of the radiation of a pulsed electron-beam-controlled discharge CO2 laser. II. Theoretical analysis

Numerical simulation is used as the basis of an analysis of nonlinear optic al properties of the active medium in intracavity four-wave mixing of the r adiation of a pulsed electron-beam-controlled discharge CO2 laser on satura ted-gain and refractive-index diffraction gratings. The reflection coeffici ent of the phase-conjugated signal is determined for various cavity e-facto rs, specific input energies, and pressures of the laser-active mixture. A c omparison is made of the theoretical and experimental results. It is found that the rate of formation of amplitude gratings is governed primarily by t he initial population inversion and by the intensities of the interacting w aves. It is shown that transient phase gratings make the dominant contribut ion to the phase-conjugate reflection coefficient at high pressures of the mixture.