DIODE LASERS

DIODE LASERS

The SDL-7630 visible, 0.5 W CW diffraction-limited, wavelength-tunable diode laser from SDL Inc. (San Jose, CA) can provide a compact, efficient alternative to Ti:sapphire and dye lasers operating in the 650-680-nm wavelength region. The laser is designed around a unique tapered-gain-element laser diode, and an external cavity with grating provides wavelength control of the diffraction-limited, collimated circular beam output. According to SDL, with 0.5 W CW output, this laser has more than 10 times the power of any other single-mode visible diode laser, and its compact package facilitates operation in the field or other nonlaboratory settings for various spectroscopic measurements. Tunable diode lasers have been used for detection of contaminants in toxic waste sites, and the SDL-7630 lasers introduced at CLEO `95 extend the usefulness of this class of product by addressing a broader range of electronic and molecular transitions.