Incoherent beam combination of low order Laguerre–Gaussian beams propagating in turbulent atmosphere

An incoherent beam combination of lower order Laguerre–Gaussian beams is analytically modeled and analyzed in the presence of atmospheric turbulence. For purpose of analysis, 44 individual laser elements are considered and intensity profile of the combined beam is analyzed at regular distances from the source. The resultant intensity is then compared with the similarly combined Gaussian beams. It is found that while combined intensity of LG10 mode is greater than that of Gaussian for lower propagation distance, it becomes less than Gaussian for distances greater than 3 km from the source. LG01 mode, on the other hand, shows considerably higher combined intensity as compared to Gaussian even at a distance of 10 km from the source, thus making them a viable prospect for high power directed energy systems.