Abstract

Coherent optical receivers require very good spatial mode-matching between the signal and local oscillator (LO) fields. In this work, we demonstrate an adaptive photorefractive heterodyne receiver based on a spatially injection-locked oscillator. This system can receive arbitrarily corrupted signal wavefronts and utilizes mutually incoherent signal and local oscillator lasers. Unlike previous demonstrations,^1,2, this architecture could potentially be implemented in faster responding non-photorefractive systems.

© 1993 Optical Society of America