Phase locking in a multichannel radial array CO2laser

Phase locking in an extended‐area, multichannel, radial array, carbon dioxide laser has been investigated. Preliminary self‐phase‐locking percentages as high as 62% were achieved with the device. The phase‐locking mechanism was determined to be the mutual optical coupling present within the central region of this geometry. As such, this region acted as a core oscillator to initiate a fundamental optical mode within each individual discharge slot.