Systems and methods for coherent beam combining

A system for coherent beam combining (CBC) comprising:

• a light source, generating a source optical beam;
• a beam splitting mechanism, configured to divide the source optical beam into an array of temporally coherent input optical beams and a reference optical beam;
• an array of collimating elements, configured to direct each of the input optical beams through a separate collimating element, generating output optical beams corresponding to the input optical beams, such that the output optical beams are propagated through a first propagation direction;
• a beam splitting element, configured to divide each of the output optical beams such that a first portion of each of the output optical beams is directed towards the first propagation direction, all first portions of the output optical beams forming a combined output optical beam and a second portion of each of the output optical beams is directed towards a second propagation direction and used as a sample optical beam directed such as to interfere with a reference optical beam forming thereby a corresponding optical interference signal;
• an array of optical detectors, each being positioned and configured to measure intensity of a respective optical interference signal and output a power output value that corresponds to the overall intensity of the respective optical interference signal;
• a control subsystem, configured to continuously receive measured power output values from each of the optical detectors, change a polarization of each of the input optical beams, while comparing the measured power output value of the respective optical interference signal with at least one previously measured power output value from the respective optical detector, and lock the polarization of the input optical beam when reaching an extremum power output value of its respective optical interference signal,
• wherein the changing of the polarization of each input optical beam is carried out directly based on the measured power output values of its respective optical interference signals, without calculating or estimating the correct polarization and/or without producing any other signal associated therewith,
• wherein the generating of the optical interference optical signals, measuring of the outputs of the multiple optical detectors and polarization locking are carried out continuously and simultaneously for all input and output optical beams and optical interference signals.

A system for coherent beam combining (CBC) comprising:

• an array of temporally coherent input optical beams;
• a reference optical beam;
• an array of collimating elements, configured to direct each of the input optical beams through a separate collimating element, generating an array of output optical beams corresponding to the input optical beams passed through the collimating elements, such that the output optical beams are parallel to one another, defining a first propagation direction;
• a beam splitting element, configured to divide each of the output optical beams such that a first portion of each of the output optical beams is directed towards the first propagation direction, all first portions of the output optical beams forming a combined output optical beam and a second portion of each of the output optical beams is directed towards a second propagation direction and used as a sample optical beam, directed such as to interfere with the reference optical beam, generating a plurality of optical interference signals;
• a plurality of optical detectors, each being positioned and configured to measure intensity of a respective optical interference signal and output a power output value that corresponds to the overall intensity of the respective optical interference signal;
• and
• a control subsystem, configured to continuously receive measured power output values from each of the optical detectors, change a polarization of each of the input optical beams, while comparing the measured power output value of the respective optical interference signal with at least one previously measured power output value from the respective optical detector, and lock the polarization of the input optical beam when reaching an extremum power output value of its respective optical interference signal,
• wherein the changing of the polarization of each input optical beam is carried out directly based on the measured power output value of its respective optical interference signal, wherein the generating of the optical interference optical signals, measuring of the outputs of the multiple optical detectors and polarization locking are carried out continuously and simultaneously for all input and output optical beams and optical interference signals.