Optical phase-conjugate digital inline holography for correcting aberrations in particle-laden flames

While historically there have been many demonstrations of phase-conjugate holography to correct for noise created by phase distortions, the technique has not been applied to modern digital inline holographic measurements. Here, we present the theory and initial experiments exploring the impact of using phase-conjugate digital inline holography (PCDIH) to reduce noise produced by phase distortions through index-of-refraction gradients, such as would be experienced in a combustion environment. We demonstrate the ability to measure 3D object locations using PCDIH and correct for some types of disturbances. To quantify the technique, a plasma generator is used to produce strong indexof- refraction changes in room air. Object position errors in these measurements from both traditional DIH and PCDIH are compared. Preliminary results suggest that the use of PCDIH could potentially reduce positional error by approximately half when measuring through phase disturbances.