Optical amplifier for space applications

We describe an optical amplifier designed to amplify a spatially sampled co mponent of an optical wavefront to kilowatt average power. The goal is mean s for implementing a strategy of spatially segmenting a large aperture wave front, amplifying the individual segments, maintaining the phase coherence of the segments by active means, and imaging the resultant amplified cohere nt field. Applications of interest are the transmission of space solar powe r over multi-megameter distances, as to distant spacecraft, or to remote si tes with no preexisting power grid. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.