High-power broad-area diode lasers are the most efficient light sources, with 90-μm stripe GaAs-based 940-980 nm single emitters delivering > 10 W optical output at a power conversion efficiency ηE(10 W) > 65%. A review of efforts to increase ηE is presented here and we show that for well-optimized structures, the residual losses are dominated by the p -side waveguide and nonideal internal quantum efficiency ηi . The challenge in measuring efficiency to sufficient precision is also discussed. We show that ηE can most directly be improved using low heat sink temperature THS with ηE(10 W) reaching > 70% at THS = -50 °C. In contrast, increases in ηE at THS = 25 °C require improvements in both material quality and design, with growth studies targeting increased ηi and reduced threshold current and design studies seeking to mitigate the impact of the p-side waveguide. “Extreme, double asymmetric” (EDAS) designs are shown to substantially reduce p-side losses, at the penalty of increased threshold current. The benefit of EDAS designs is shown here using diode lasers with 30-μm stripes, (in development as high beam quality sources for material processing). Efficiency increases of ~ 10% relative to conventional designs are demonstrated at high powers.

Efficient High-Power Laser Diodes

Vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) are the most versatile laser sources, combining unique features such as wide spectral coverage, ultrashort pulse operation, low noise properties, high output power, high brightness and compact form-factor. This paper reviews the recent technological developments of VECSELs in connection with the new milestones that continue to pave the way towards their use in numerous applications. Significant attention is devoted to the fabrication of VECSEL gain mirrors in challenging wavelength regions, especially at the yellow and red wavelengths. The reviewed fabrication approaches address wafer-bonded VECSEL structures as well as the use of hybrid mirror structures. Moreover, a comprehensive summary of VECSEL characterization methods is presented; the discussion covers different stages of VECSEL development and different operation regimes, pointing out specific characterization techniques for each of them. Finally, several emerging applications are discussed, with emphasis on the unique application objectives that VECSELs render possible, for example in atom and molecular physics, dermatology and spectroscopy.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6463/aa7bfd/pdf

Optically pumped VECSELs: review of technology and progress

Achieving high brightness (where brightness is defined as optical power per unit area per unit solid angle) in semiconductor lasers is important for various applications, including direct-laser processing and light detection and ranging for next-generation smart production and mobility. Although the brightness of semiconductor lasers has been increased by the use of edge-emitting-type resonators, their brightness is still one order of magnitude smaller than that of gas and solid-state/fibre lasers, and they often suffer from large beam divergence with strong asymmetry and astigmatism. Here, we develop a so-called ‘double-lattice photonic crystal’, where we superimpose two photonic lattice groups separated by one-quarter wavelength in the x and y directions. Using this resonator, an output power of 10 W with a very narrow-divergence-angle (<0.3°) symmetric surface-emitted beam is achieved from a circular emission area of 500 μm diameter under pulsed conditions, which corresponds to a brightness of over 300 MW cm−2 sr−1. In addition, an output power up to ~7 W is obtained under continuous-wave conditions. Detailed analyses on the double-lattice structure indicate that the resonators have the potential to realize a brightness of up to 10 GW cm−2 sr−1, suggesting that compact, affordable semiconductor lasers will be able to rival existing gas and fibre/disk lasers. An optimized design for a broad-area surface-emitting photonic-crystal laser leads to high brightness of over 300 MW cm–2 sr–1 and an output power of 10 W under pulsed excitation.

Double-lattice photonic-crystal resonators enabling high-brightness semiconductor lasers with symmetric narrow-divergence beams.

High-power quantum well lasers with high brightness in the spectral range between 650 nm and 1080 nm will be presented. Improved layer structures with a narrow vertical far-field divergence down to angles of 15deg (full-width at half-maximum) were developed. For these layer structures, optimized tapered lasers were processed to achieve laterally a nearly diffraction-limited beam quality with beam propagation factors smaller than 2. Depending on the emission wavelength, the tapered devices reach an output power up to 12 W and a brightness of 1 GWmiddotcm-2middotsr-1.

High-Brightness Quantum Well Tapered Lasers

We compare ridge-waveguide lasers with trench widths of 5 and 20 mum. The emission wavelength is around 1064 nm and the ridge width is 5 m. The maximum output power exceeds 2 W. The 5-mum trench-width device exhibits a much more stable lateral far-field. The full-width at half-maximum of the vertical far-field profile is only 15deg due to a super-large optical cavity.

Fundamental-Lateral Mode Stabilized High-Power Ridge-Waveguide Lasers With a Low Beam Divergence

Design and technology developments targeted at increasing both power conversion efficiency and optical output power of GaAs-based diode lasers are under intense study worldwide, driven by the demands of commercial laser systems The conversion efficiency at the operation point is known to be limited by electrical and optical losses in the p-side waveguide In this paper an ‘extreme, double asymmetric’ design to mitigate the impact of the p-side waveguide is studied and compared with a more conventional design An increase of the efficiency at the highest power is demonstrated, but it is less than expected from simulations

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0268-1242/29/4/045010/pdf

Comparative theoretical and experimental studies of two designs of high-power diode lasers

Distributed Bragg reflector tapered lasers emitting at a wavelength of about 1060 nm were realized. The expitaxial layer structure leads to a vertical far-field angle of 15deg (full-width at half-maximum). The devices with a total length of 4 mm consist of 2-mm-long ridge waveguide and tapered sections. The input currents to both sections can be independently controlled. The laser reached 5-W output power with a narrow spectral linewidth below 40 pm (95% power) and a nearly diffraction-limited beam quality.

K.-H. Hasler

Papers

Efficient High-Power Laser Diodes

High-Brightness Quantum Well Tapered Lasers

Fundamental-Lateral Mode Stabilized High-Power Ridge-Waveguide Lasers With a Low Beam Divergence

Comparative theoretical and experimental studies of two designs of high-power diode lasers

5-W DBR Tapered Lasers Emitting at 1060 nm With a Narrow Spectral Linewidth and a Nearly Diffraction-Limited Beam Quality