Short-wavelength laser-diode array produces up to 15-W CW output power

Short-wavelength laser-diode array produces up to 15-W CW output power

Applications such as displays and photodynamic therapy (PDT) require multiple watts of output power at wavelengths as short as 630 nm. Researchers at SDL Inc. (San Jose, CA) recently demonstrated what they believe are record-high continuous-wave (CW) powers of 15 W at

637 nm and 6 W at 626 nm from monolithic laser arrays. The fiber-coupled 630-nm bars were life-tested up to 700 h at a fiber-coupled output power of 3 W with little degradation?fiber-coupling is preferred for PDT applications.

The device design consists of a gallium indium phosphide (GaInP) strained-quantum-well active region sandwiched between two aluminum gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP) waveguide regions with AlInP cladding layers on both p and n sides. An array of broad-area emitters with stripe widths of approximately 50 ?m constituted the laser bar. One array had a maximum output power of 15 W at an operating current of 24 A, with its maximum power-conversion efficiency of approximately 30% at 10 W. Contact Jules Osinski at [email protected].