A method includes illuminating a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) of a transmit aperture of a laser communication terminal and a PIC of a receive aperture of the laser communication terminal with multi-wavelength light, where each PIC includes multiple antenna elements forming an optical phased array (OPA). The method also includes determining light intensities of different wavelengths of the multi-wavelength light after the multi-wavelength light has passed through each PIC. The method further includes estimating phases of light associated with the antenna elements based on variations in the light intensities. In addition, the method includes adjusting one or more phase shifters of at least one of the PICs based on the estimated phases of light.