Experimental investigation of self-conjugation of CO2 laser radiation

A scheme utilizing a four-wave interaction in ³⁴SF₆, with a feedback loop containing an amplifier, was applied to CO₂ laser radiation pulses of microsecond duration with a reflected wave energy in the highest-gain 10P (20) line of up to 1.8 J. Partial compensation was demonstrated of simulated inhomogeneities located in the loop resonator. An analysis of the measured spatial characteristics of the wave reflected by the four-wave interaction scheme with feedback showed exact self-conjugation to be absent for all the known configurations of the feedback scheme tested experimentally.