Experimental and numerical investigations were carried out of phase lo
cking of a linear array of CO2 waveguide lasers with a spatial Mer, as
a function of the width of the blocking parts of the filter and of th
e displacement of the filter across the optic axis A calculation was m
ade of the elements of a matrix representing optical coupling between
the lasers and of the distribution of the fields bf the collective mod
es At low values of the coupling coefficients, there was a possibility
of transient regimes with partial phase locking of the fields, leadin
g to a considerable increase in the time-averaged brightness of the ou
tput radiation compared with independent emission from the individual
lasers.