title: Model for passive coherent beam combining in fiber laser arrays.
abstract: We present a new model for studying the beam combining mechanism, spectral and temporal dynamics, the role of nonlinearity, and the power scaling issue of discretely coupled fiber laser arrays. The model accounts for the multiple longitudinal modes of individual fiber lasers and shows directly the formation of the composite-cavity modes. Detailed output power spectra and their evolution with increasing array size and pump power are also explored for the first time. In addition, it is, to our knowledge, the only model that closely resembles the real experimental conditions in which no deliberate control of the fiber lengths (mismatch) is required while highly efficient coherent beam combining is still attained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. tsai-wei@umich.edu
authors.forename: Tsai-wei
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wei-zung
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Almantas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galvanauskas
authors.forename: Herbert G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Winful
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007834:Lasers; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055100:Optical Fibers; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity