Binary-optics miniature Talbot cavities for laser beam addition

Abstract

A miniature external cavity has been fabricated from a single 4.5 mm substrate for coherent beam addition of a linear AlGaAs laser array. Binary-optics elements are fabricated on the front surface for laser beam collimation and onto the back surface for lateral mode selection. Near-diffraction-limited performance has been observed with up to 80% of the far-field power contained in the central lobe.