Limitations of phase-conjugate replay in volume-holographic phase-disturbing media

We examine the consequences of permanent phase distortions on the replay of transmission volume holograms with a phase-conjugated reference wave. In the absence of Bragg degeneracies and significant Bragg mismatch, for negligible dispersion in the spatial frequency response and for negligible variation in obliquity, phase-conjugated reference waves compensate for the effects of phase distortions and permit cross-talk-free multiplexing by using orthogonal reference waves. Spatial frequency dispersion, however, is a source of image distortion and cross talk.