Global Coupling and Phase Locking in Laser Diode Arrays: A Review of Talbot Cavity Research

High-power semiconductor laser diode arrays (LDAs) are pivotal for applications such as optical pumping, industrial manufacturing, and precision measurement, yet they face inherent bottlenecks in balancing high output power, superior beam quality, and stable phase synchronization. The Talbot cavity, leveraging the Talbot self-imaging effect, has emerged as a core external cavity technology to address these challenges, enabling global coupling and passive phase locking of LDAs. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of Talbot cavities in phase-locked LDAs under global coupling. It elaborates on the fundamental principle of Talbot-effect-based phase locking, along with the structural characteristics and working mechanisms of three typical Talbot cavity configurations: conventional Talbot cavities, V-shaped Littrow–Talbot cavities, and monolithic integrated Talbot cavities. Furthermore, it summarizes key experimental advancements of LDAs, covering diverse laser media (e.g., near-infrared, blue, terahertz, and mid-infrared antimonide lasers) and array scales ranging from a few to thousands of emitters, with representative performance metrics including far-field visibility up to 99%, narrowed spectral linewidths achieving 20–50 pm for blue LDA, and output power exceeding 200 W. Numerical simulation progress on supermodel stability and parameter optimization is also discussed. Finally, the current challenges, such as thermal crosstalk and integration complexity, are analyzed, and future prospects involving intelligent control and novel physical mechanisms are outlined. This review aims to provide a comprehensive reference for the further development and practical application of high-brightness phase-locked laser sources.