An apparatus includes an auto-alignment laser (206) configured to generate an auto-alignment laser beam (208). The apparatus also includes a spectral beam combiner (210-214) having a diffraction grating (214). The diffraction grating is configured to diffract multiple input laser beams (204a-204d) to produce a combined beam (106) having a higher power or energy compared to the individual input laser beams. The diffraction grating is also configured to diffract the auto-alignment laser beam so that a portion (208a) of the auto-alignment laser beam co-propagates in a common direction with the combined beam. Wavelengths of the input laser beams and the auto-alignment laser beam may be selected such that portions of the input laser beams and the portion of the auto-alignment laser beam diffract from the diffraction grating in the common direction. The portion of the auto-alignment laser beam that co-propagates with the combined beam may include a higher-order diffraction of the auto-alignment laser beam from the diffraction grating.
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