Diffraction effects in a diode array traveling-wave amplifier

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Abstract
The far-field pattern of a traveling-wave amplifier made from a gain-guided laser diode array consists of a nearly diffraction-limited principal lobe with one or two side lobes when injected with a plane wave from a single-mode diode laser. The observed patterns for varying angle of incidence and amplifier pump current are consistent with a model that treats the array as a diffracting aperture containing a complex volume grating having an amplitude that depends on the current. Some internal parameters of the array are extracted and the implications to broad area amplifiers and laser arrays are discussed.