Laser system including optical amplification subsystem providing an amplified laser output

1. A laser system comprising:

a seed laser; and

an optical amplification subsystem, receiving an output of said seed laser and providing an amplified laser output, said optical amplification subsystem comprising:

a first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies, each of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies including a second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers arranged in parallel; and

first phase control circuitry including phase modulating functionality associated with each of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies,

each of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies also comprising second phase control circuitry operative to maximize the total output intensity of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers, said second phase control circuitry comprising phase modulating functionality associated with each of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers, said second phase control circuitry including:

a total output intensity sensor which measures the total output intensity of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers; and

phase control logic circuitry which receives an output from said total output intensity sensor and varies the phase relationships of individual ones of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers in order to maximize the total output intensity of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers as sensed by said total output intensity sensor, said phase control logic circuitry ascertaining the current supplied to each of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers which produces the maximum total output intensity of said laser system,

at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers comprising:

a first electrode; and

a second electrode,

said phase control logic circuitry being operative to:

change a phase of said at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers independently of an output intensity of said at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers by varying current supplied via said first and second electrodes in a first manner; and

change said output intensity of said at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers independently of said phase of said at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers by varying current supplied via said first and second electrodes in a second manner, different from said first manner.

2. A laser system according to claim 1 and wherein said first phase control circuitry operates independently of said second phase control circuitry.

3. A laser system according to claim 1 and wherein said second phase control circuitry of each one of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies operates independently of said second phase control circuitry of each other of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies.

4. A laser system according to claim 1 and wherein said phase control logic circuitry sequentially varies the current supplied to each of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers and selects the current supplied to each of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers to be the current which produces the maximum total output intensity of said laser system.

5. A laser system according to claim 1 and also comprising a coherent free-space far field combiner receiving outputs from at least one of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies and said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers and directing said outputs from free-space into a single mode optical fiber.

6. A laser system according to claim 1 and also comprising a coherent free-space far field combiner receiving outputs having a first numerical aperture from at least one of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies and said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers and directing said outputs from free-space into an optical fiber having a second numerical aperture similar to said first numerical aperture.

7. A laser system according to claim 1 and also comprising a coherent free-space far field combiner receiving outputs from at least one of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies and said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers and coherently combining said outputs from free-space into a single beam having an at least nearly Gaussian profile.

8. A laser system according to claim 7 and wherein brightness of said single beam is substantially higher than the brightness of a corresponding non-coherently combined beam.

9. A laser system according to claim 1 and wherein said second phase control circuitry sequentially varies the phase of each of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers and selects the phase of each of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers to be the phase which produces the maximum total output intensity of said laser system.

10. A laser system according to claim 9 and wherein multiple different ones of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers are simultaneously supplied with different currents.

11. A laser system comprising:

a seed laser; and

an optical amplification subsystem, receiving an output of said seed laser and providing an amplified laser output, said optical amplification subsystem comprising:

a first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies, each of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies including a second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers arranged in parallel; and

first phase control circuitry including phase modulating functionality associated with each of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies,

each of said first plurality of more than two amplifier assemblies also comprising second phase control circuitry operative to maximize the total output intensity of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers, said second phase control circuitry comprising phase modulating functionality associated with each of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers, said second phase control circuitry including:

a total output intensity sensor which measures the total output intensity of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers; and

phase control logic circuitry which receives an output from said total output intensity sensor and varies the phase relationships of individual ones of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers in order to maximize the total output intensity of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers as sensed by said total output intensity sensor,

at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers comprising:

a first electrode; and

a second electrode,

said phase control logic circuitry being operative to:

change a phase of said at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers independently of an output intensity of said at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers by varying current supplied via said first and second electrodes in a first manner; and

change said output intensity of said at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers independently of said phase of said at least one of said second plurality of more than two optical amplifiers by varying current supplied via said first and second electrodes in a second manner, different from said first manner.