Self-organized phase-locking of a mixed-resonant cavity diode laser array enabled by on-chip Talbot effect

Abstract To address the challenge of achieving stable in-phase coherent optical field in high-power laser arrays, we propose a novel dual Talbot diffraction coupling method that combines the on-chip self-injection effect with a mixed-resonant cavity diode laser array (MDLA). The designed MDLA incorporates two types of resonant cavities and an integrated external fractional Talbot cavity to compensate for in-phase mode phase delays. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the near-field optical pattern can be self-imaged via self-organized phase-locking, while the far-field optical pattern of in-phase mode can be coherently enhanced and modulated to exhibit a single-lobe pattern successfully. Furthermore, this method could inherently provide strong optical coupling and overcome the limited scalability of the weakly-coupled laser arrays. Ultimately, by leveraging self-organized phase-locking and Talbot-induced mode discrimination, our approach offers a robust platform for realizing high-power coherent laser sources with scalable integration potential.