A beam combining system comprising: a laser source (101; 1001; 1201; 1301; 1401; 1501; 1601; 1701; 1801; 1901; 2001; 2101; 2201; 2301; 2701) having a plurality of emitters (101A,..., 101N; 1001A,..., 1001N; 1201A,..., 1201N; 1301A,..., 1301N; 1401A,..., 1401N; 1501A,..., 1501N; 1601A,..., 1601N; 1701A,..., 1701N; 1801A,..., 1801N; 1901A,..., 1901N; 2001A,..., 2001N; 2101A,..., 2101N; 2201A,..., 2201N; 2301A,..., 2301N; 2701A,..., 2701N) that each emit a laser beam; a beam wavelength stabilization system comprising: a wavelength filtering element in the form of a thin-film filtering element (103; 300; 800; 1003; 1205; 1305; 1404; 1504; 1604; 1704; 1804; 1904; 2004; 2104 2203; 2303; 2703); a reflective element (105; 1005; 1207; 1307; 1406; 1506; 1606; 1706; 1806; 1906; 2006; 2106; 2206; 2306; 2706); and a beam combining element, wherein each laser beam emitted by the plurality of emitters has a single wavelength, wherein the beam wavelength stabilization system receives a portion of the total optical power emitted by the laser source and directs a portion of the received optical power back into the laser source, wherein the beam combining element receives a portion of the total optical power emitted by the laser source and generates a combined output beam, characterized in that the wavelength filtering element produces a first spectral angular dispersion having first linear components and first nonlinear components, the beam combining element is arranged outside the beam wavelength stabilization system and is a dispersive element that produces a second spectral angular dispersion having second linear components and second nonlinear components, and an impact of the first non-linear components are attenuated by the second nonlinear components, the beam combining system further comprising: an optical telescope; wherein the optical telescope is positioned along an optical path between the wavelength filtering element and the beam combining element, and wherein a magnification of the telescope is selected such that the first linear components are magnified to match the second linear components. a laser source (101; 1001; 1201; 1301; 1401; 1501; 1601; 1701; 1801; 1901; 2001; 2101; 2201; 2301; 2701) having a plurality of emitters (101A,..., 101N; 1001A,..., 1001N; 1201A,..., 1201N; 1301A,..., 1301N; 1401A,..., 1401N; 1501A,..., 1501N; 1601A,..., 1601N; 1701A,..., 1701N; 1801A,..., 1801N; 1901A,..., 1901N; 2001A,..., 2001N; 2101A,..., 2101N; 2201A,..., 2201N; 2301A,..., 2301N; 2701A,..., 2701N) that each emit a laser beam; a beam wavelength stabilization system comprising: a wavelength filtering element in the form of a thin-film filtering element (103; 300; 800; 1003; 1205; 1305; 1404; 1504; 1604; 1704; 1804; 1904; 2004; 2104 2203; 2303; 2703); a reflective element (105; 1005; 1207; 1307; 1406; 1506; 1606; 1706; 1806; 1906; 2006; 2106; 2206; 2306; 2706); and a wavelength filtering element in the form of a thin-film filtering element (103; 300; 800; 1003; 1205; 1305; 1404; 1504; 1604; 1704; 1804; 1904; 2004; 2104 2203; 2303; 2703); a reflective element (105; 1005; 1207; 1307; 1406; 1506; 1606; 1706; 1806; 1906; 2006; 2106; 2206; 2306; 2706); and a beam combining element, wherein each laser beam emitted by the plurality of emitters has a single wavelength, wherein the beam wavelength stabilization system receives a portion of the total optical power emitted by the laser source and directs a portion of the received optical power back into the laser source, wherein the beam combining element receives a portion of the total optical power emitted by the laser source and generates a combined output beam, an optical telescope; wherein the optical telescope is positioned along an optical path between the wavelength filtering element and the beam combining element, and wherein a magnification of the telescope is selected such that the first linear components are magnified to match the second linear components.