Rigorous numerical analysis of mode beating in tapered semiconductor amplifiers

The evolution of the optical beam profile along a high-power tapered semiconductor amplifier has been demonstrated by using rigorous and full-vectorial numerical approaches, based on the finite-element method. Numerically simulated results indicate the generation of many higher order modes, and their interference with the fundamental mode causes a variation of the optical beam, both along the transverse and the axial directions, which could significantly modify the output beam quality.