Nonlinear conversion of infrared images allowing for the influence of a turbulent atmosphere

A theoretical and experimental investigation is made of the parametric conversion of an infrared image in the presence of phase fluctuations which appear during propagation of radiation through a turbulent atmosphere. It is shown that in frequency conversion systems these wavefront distortions not only cause a deterioration in the quality of the image but also produce fluctuations in the output radiation intensity. The influence of these factors on the operation of a receiving system is determined. The experiments confirm the results of the calculations.