Optimal phase filtering for high-power laser arrays far-field distribution

We present numerical simulations of the propagation of the field emitted by laser arrays consisting of a small number of elements. Our computations show how propagation transforms part of an amplitude modulation into a phase modulation. This fact can be used to enhance the central lobe energy in the far field of high-power laser arrays by means of a simple corrective optical element. We discuss optimal filtering conditions and prove that the quarter-Talbot distance generally used in previous studies is not the best choice.