Rhodium-doped barium titanate nonlinear mirror for high beam quality pulsed Nd:YAG lasers

We review the recent results obtained with Rh:BaTiO/sub 3/ as a phase conjugate mirror for a pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating in the near infrared (1.06 /spl mu/m). The phase conjugate reflectivity, the response time, and the fidelity obtained using an internal loop self-pumped phase conjugate geometry are presented. High beam quality master-oscillator power amplifier Nd:YAG lasers with an Rh:BaTiO/sub 3/ phase conjugate mirror are presented in both low-repetition rate flash-lamp pumped and high-repetition rate diode-pumped laser architectures. The performances of the Rh:BaTiO/sub 3/ crystal are compared with those obtained with a conventional Brillouin mirror.