A method for generating, using a laser, an emitted laser field having a different spatial intensity profile than the internal mode of the laser, the method comprising: disposing a laser gain medium within a laser cavity structure comprising an output coupler (30, 130, 230, 330, 430); arranging an interferometric device (30, 130, 230, 330, 430) comprising optical components to form said output coupler (30, 130, 230, 330, 430), wherein the interferometric device receives an input beam from laser oscillation in the laser cavity structure, splits the input beam into two sub-beams, and recombines the two sub-beams to provide an optical feedback beam to sustain laser oscillation; configuring the optical components that comprise the interferometric device to provide relative misalignment of the two sub-beams that are produced internally to the interferometric device; using at least a first output port of the interferometric device to provide an output beam of the laser having a different spatial intensity profile than the internal mode of the laser; and using at least a second output port of the interferometric device to provide the optical feedback beam to the laser cavity structure that sustains laser oscillation with a spatial intensity profile that substantially preserves that of the internal mode of the laser; wherein relative misalignment of the optical components in the interferometric device causes either a symmetric lateral displacement (+d, -d) of each of the two sub-beams in one plane that is less than half the beam field waist radial size (w), or a symmetric angular offset (+θ, -θ) of each of the two sub-beams in one plane that is less than half the divergence angle (θ G) of the internal mode of the laser; wherein the internal mode of the laser is a Gaussian beam, and a mode transformed Hermite-Gaussian beam HG 01 or HG 10 is generated and emitted from the first output port of the interferometric device. disposing a laser gain medium within a laser cavity structure comprising an output coupler (30, 130, 230, 330, 430); arranging an interferometric device (30, 130, 230, 330, 430) comprising optical components to form said output coupler (30, 130, 230, 330, 430), wherein the interferometric device receives an input beam from laser oscillation in the laser cavity structure, splits the input beam into two sub-beams, and recombines the two sub-beams to provide an optical feedback beam to sustain laser oscillation; configuring the optical components that comprise the interferometric device to provide relative misalignment of the two sub-beams that are produced internally to the interferometric device; using at least a first output port of the interferometric device to provide an output beam of the laser having a different spatial intensity profile than the internal mode of the laser; and using at least a second output port of the interferometric device to provide the optical feedback beam to the laser cavity structure that sustains laser oscillation with a spatial intensity profile that substantially preserves that of the internal mode of the laser; wherein relative misalignment of the optical components in the interferometric device causes either a symmetric lateral displacement (+d, -d) of each of the two sub-beams in one plane that is less than half the beam field waist radial size (w), or a symmetric angular offset (+θ, -θ) of each of the two sub-beams in one plane that is less than half the divergence angle (θ G) of the internal mode of the laser; wherein the internal mode of the laser is a Gaussian beam, and a mode transformed Hermite-Gaussian beam HG 01 or HG 10 is generated and emitted from the first output port of the interferometric device.