Abstract

The recent development of high-power diode laser arrays has motivated considerable experimental and theoretical work aimed at understanding the behavior of these devices and improving their operating characteristics. Previous experimental techniques for studying the behavior of diode arrays have concentrated largely on examining the near- and far-field emission patterns of free-running devices. By spectrally resolving these emission patterns, as many as five distinct "supermodes" have been shown to simultaneously oscillate in an array operating 20% above threshold. ^1,2 External grating cavities have also been used with anti-reflection coated arrays to force oscillation in various array modes and to show that modes of order higher than the number of gain stripes can exist in gain-guided arrays.^3,4

© 1987 Optical Society of America