Patent ID: 7120184

Claim:
A system for generating a powerful laser beam, comprising: a laser element array including a first laser element and at least one additional laser element, said first laser element and said least one additional laser element having a rear laser mirror, an output mirror, and semiconductor laser material between said rear laser mirror and said output mirror, wherein said output mirror is 100% reflective at normal incidence and <5% reflective at an input beam angle; an injector for directing a first part of an injection laser signal into said first laser element and for directing at least one additional part of the injection laser signal into said at least one additional laser element; said laser element array transforming said first part of the injection laser signal and said at least one additional injection laser signal into a first circulating laser beam in said first laser element and at least one additional circulating laser beam in said at least one additional laser element; a reference laser beam source for directing a first part of a reference laser beam into said first laser element to mix with said first circulating laser beam and for directing at least one additional part of a reference laser beam into said at least one additional laser element to mix with said at least one additional circulating laser beam; an amplifier and phase conjugater for amplifying and phase conjugating said first part of a reference laser beam and said at least one additional part of a reference laser beam and producing a first amplified output laser beam emanating from said first laser element and at least one additional amplified output laser beam emanating from said at least one additional laser element; and a combiner for combining said first amplified output laser beam and said at least one additional amplified output laser beam into the powerful laser beam.