Phase conjugation in underwater acoustics

Phase-conjugate mirrors are used in optics to compensate for aberrations caused by inhomogeneities in the propagation medium and by imperfections in optical components. In acoustics, analogous behavior can be achieved by a time-reversed retransmission of signals received by an array. Compensation for multipath propagation and array imperfections is automatic and does not require knowledge of the detailed properties of either the medium or the array. The behavior of acoustic phase-conjugate arrays is illustrated in several examples, some highly idealized and some more realistic. The effects of aperture size and inhomogeneities in the propagation medium are treated for both the near-field and far-field regions. It is concluded that phase-conjugate arrays offer an attractive approach to some long-standing problems in underwater acoustics.