Sequential power transfer between stripes of a laser diode array via photorefractive two beam coupling in BaTiO3

The combination of the output of a semiconductor laser array into a high power, diffraction limited output is currently the subject of great interest, but is technically difficult since any system considered must exhibit a dynamic response to the phase variations of the individual stripes of the laser array. Photorefractive materials, because of their ability to cope with rapid phase variations, and in addition, display large nonlinear effects at the milli-Watt power levels associated with individual stripes of a diode laser array, provide an ideal medium in which to perform coupling techniques.