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Abstract

A method of deflecting and steering laser beams of the kind that comprises generating two converging pumping beams defining between them a convergence angle .psi.. The two converging pumping beams are targeted on a predetermined intersection region of a third-order, non-linear polarization medium so as to intersect therein whereby each of said pumping beams is split in the said intersection region to form a plurality of scattered portions each of which interferes with the pumping beam from which it was formed to generate a light interference pattern, the light interference patterns thus generated from the two pumping beams causing self-generation of a common grating such that there emerge from said polarization medium two output beams each forming with a neighboring pumping beam a steering angle .THETA. which is controllable by variation of the magnitude of the wavenumber of at least one of the two pumping beams so as to form a wavenumber difference dk between the two pumping beams. In accordance with the invention wavenumber difference is obtained by the controlled variation of either or both of a refractive index n' and absorption index n' associated with at least one of the pumping beams.

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First Claim