Engineers designing a satellite-to-ground optical communications link use a laser emitting light of wavelength \(\lambda\). To minimize the spatial spreading of the laser beam when it reaches a ground station at a fixed distance \(L\) away, the design team replaces the transmitter's output aperture with one of larger diameter \(D\). Which of the following claims correctly predicts the effect of this modification on the beam spot size at the ground station and provides a valid physical justification?