Broad-area lasers exhibit complex spatiotemporal behavior due to multilateral mode operation, emitting filamented beams with low spatial coherence. Using weak external optical feedback we demonstrate that some degree of lateral mode selection and pattern stabilization of these lasers can be obtained under appropriate feedback conditions. © 1996 The American Physical Society.

• Received 9 May 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.54.5386