Feature

High power, long life continuous-wave monolithic laser diode arrays

M. Sakamoto, D.F. Welch, J.G. Endriz, D.R. Scifres, and W. Streifer

Multistripe monolithic AlGaAs laser diode arrays show considerable promise as sources of high power, high efficiency narrow bandwidth optical energy. Examples of applications include: a) optical pumping of solid state laser media, b) infrared illumination, c) laser soldering, and d) eye surgery. Power levels of 38 W have been demonstrated at room temperature under continuous-wave (cw) conditions for twenty 10-stripe lasers spaced along a 1 cm bar (2 mm total aperture width). We report cw operation up to 76 W and 55 W from 1 cm laser diode arrays with aperture widths of 3 mm and 2 mm, at heat-sink temperatures of 0° C and 23° C, respectively. We also show that a projected lifetime in excess of 5,000 hours is obtained at 10 W at 20° C heatsink temperature.

Publish Date: 01 December 1989