Abstract: Nonlinear optical systems are provided which exhibit an enhanced nonlinear response to applied optical radiation. These systems are useful for processing radiation by nonlinear optical interactions, for example harmonic generation, mixing (sum and difference frequency generation), parametric oscillation, intensity dependent refractive index effects (focusing or lens formation) and perform various photonic functions (electro-optics). The systems utilize a materials system with an architecture in which inclusion components are distributed in a host component (preferably homogeneously). The host component has an optical response which varies nonlinearly with the amplitude of the optical field produced by the radiation applied to the composite material. The inclusion component is preferably particles which are less than a wavelength of the applied radiation in maximum dimension (diameter when the particles are spherical and length of major axis when the particles are generally ellipsoidal).

Abstract: A phase conjugate interferometer has a partially reflective conventional mirror placed in front of and in close proximity to a phase conjugate mirror using internally self pumped phase conjugation in barium titanate or other photorefractive material. The reflective surface may be the surface of the phase conjugate mirror. An optical system under test is illuminated with coherent light and the wavefront at the exit pupil thereof is imaged through a beam splitter onto the reflective surface (imaging being unnecessary if the distance between the exit pupil and the reflective surface is sufficiently small that negligible diffraction occurs over that distance). Part of the wavefront is reflected at the reflective surface of the partially reflecting conventional mirror. The transmitted portion of the wavefront is incident on the phase conjugate mirror where a wavefront reversed replica of the incident wave is produced and reflected.

Abstract: Coherent transfer of laser energy between laser fields with high efficiency (85-95%) is obtained by energy coupling of nearly copropagating (intersecting) laser beams in mono-atomic vapor and provides an output beam of high power when nearly equal energy pulses are tuned near resonance with the transition of the atom of the vapor (e.g., potassium vapor at 230.degree.-260.degree. C.). The frequencies of the beams differ by approximately the inverse of the excited state lifetime of the atoms for optimum combining (coupling efficiency).

Abstract: Method and apparatus for optical phase conjugation, which apparatus is also known as a phase conjugate mirror, utilizes Brillouin enhanced four wave mixing in which a forward going pump wave and a backward going pump wave have frequencis which differ by twice the Brillouin frequency of the medium. The probe wave and the conjugate wave, which is obtained by Brillouin enhanced four wave mixing in the medium, have the same frequency, which differs from the pump wave frequencies by the Brillouin frequency of the four wave mixing medium. High reflectivity (gain) is obtained as a result of Brillouin resonance enhancement. The backward going pump wave is created from the forward going pump wave which is transmitted through the four wave mixing medium by stimulated Brillouin scattering in a Brillouin scattering medium having a Brillouin frequency twice that of the four wave mixing medium.

Abstract: A modified Fano signal processing scheme for a sequential codec defers a portion of path metric processing operations to a subsequent processing cycle by parallel branch metric processing. Rather than calculate and execute the effective path metric threshold changes in the same processing cycle, any threshold change that should result from the present processing cycle is fed forward to the branch metric calculation circuit so as to be readily available for use in the next processing cycle without having to be stored and subsequentially processed during the same processing cycle. The error correction/data recovery processor preferably employs a syndrome generator configured of a programmable read only memory which receives the bit stream to be processed and supplies impulse response bits to respective stages of a bidirectional shift register/exclusive-OR circuit.

Abstract: A scheme for monitoring the performance of a multiple access satellite communication network, particularly an antijam pseudo-noise spread code division multiple access network, operational in the presence of one or more up-link jammers having arbitrary waveforms, wherein the probability of error (or some directly related quantity) in the output data is considered to be the measure of link quality. Measurements on signal quality received over a selected (strong) link are performed at a prescribed (control) terminal. Such measurements include deriving a statistical mean and variance of decision voltages on a symbol-by-symbol basis. The measured means and variances are processed to account for differences in the link parameters of any desired link and the link used for measurement. The means and variances for the desired link are further processed to give output error probability, accounting for any error correction decoding in use.

Abstract: Distortion introduced into a multiamplitude signal format by a high power microwave amplifier is compensated by a system which adapts itself to non-linearities present in the amplifier and predistorts the input signals before they are subjected to the non-linearities created by the amplifier. The degree of predistortion is non-fixed and varies or is updated as the non-linear conversion characteristics of the amplifier change with time.