Modeling of the optical characteristics for twin-channel laser (TCL) structures

The twin-channel laser (TCL) structure was the first laser design which incorporated the use of optical gain in the regions between the elements of an array-type device. In this paper, we describe the important parameters affecting the performance of TCL devices and extend our concepts to multielement (
n > 2
) laser arrays. Our calculations indicate that the presence of a uniform gain distribution over the width of the array is necessary for the excitation of the fundamental array mode and to achieve a single lobe far field. Secondly, lateral array mode stability is drastically reduced for arrays having many elements (
n > 2
) and will be difficult to achieve in practice. Lastly, we find that the near-field intensity in laser array structures is more spatially sensitive to asymetric perturbations induced by either current or geometry nonuniformities than single-element devices. We believe that some of these problems can possibly be minimized by the use of a new laser array geometry which incorporates an unequal number of array elements along the cavity length in order to spatially filter the unwanted array modes.