title: Demonstration of a multiwave coherent holographic beam combiner in a polymeric substrate.
abstract: We demonstrate an efficient coherent holographic beam combiner (CHBC) that uses angle multiplexing of gratings in a thick polymeric substrate. Our experimental results compare well with the theoretical model based on the coupled-wave theory of multiwave mixing in a passive medium. A CHBC of this type may prove useful in producing a high-power laser by combining amplified beams produced by splitting a master oscillator. Furthermore, the ability to angle multiplex a large number of beams enables a CHBC to be used in multiple-beam interferometry applications as a high-precision surface sensor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843, USA.
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Yum
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hemmer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heifetz
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shahriar