Search Results
Near-field dynamics of broad area diode laser at very high pump levels
Near-field properties of the emission of broad area semiconductor diode lasers under extremely high pumping of up to ∼50 times the threshold are investigated. A transition from a gain to thermally-induced index guiding is shown under operation with single pulses of 300 ns duration. At highest output powers, catastrophic optical damage is observed which is studied in conjunction with the evolution of time-averaged filamentary near-field properties. Dynamics of the process is resolved on a picosecond time scale.
Delay-induced dynamics and jitter reduction of passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers subject to optical feedback
We study a passively mode-locked semiconductor ring laser subject to optical feedback from an external mirror. Using a delay differential equation model for the mode-locked laser, we are able to systematically investigate the resonance effects of the inter-spike interval time of the laser and the roundtrip time of the light in the external cavity (delay time) for intermediate and long delay times. We observe synchronization plateaus following the ordering of the well-known Farey sequence. Our results show that in agreement with the experimental results a reduction of the timing jitter is possible if the delay time is chosen close to an integer multiple of the inter-spike interval time of the laser without external feedback. Outside the main resonant regimes the timing jitter is drastically increased by the feedback.
60% Efficient Monolithically Wavelength-Stabilized 970-nm DBR Broad-Area Lasers
Progress in epitaxial design is shown to enable increased optical output power P opt and power conversion efficiency η E and decreased lateral far-field divergence angle in GaAs-based distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) broad-area (BA) diode lasers. We show that the wavelength-locked power can be significantly increased (saturation at high bias current is mitigated) by migrating from an asymmetric large optical cavity (ASLOC) based laser structure to a highly asymmetric (extreme-triple-asymmetric (ETAS)) layer design. For wavelength-stabilization, 7 th order, monolithic DBRs are etched on the surface of fully grown epitaxial layer structures. The investigated ETAS reference Fabry-Pérot (FP) BA lasers without DBRs and with 200 µm stripe width and 4 mm cavity length provide P opt = 29 W (still increasing) at 30 A in continuous-wave mode at room temperature, in contrast to the maximum P opt = 24 W (limited by strong power saturation) of baseline ASLOC lasers. The reference ETAS FP lasers also deliver over 10% higher η E at P opt = 24 W. On the other hand, in comparison to the wavelength-stabilized ASLOC DBR lasers, ETAS DBR lasers show a peak power increment from 14 W to 22 W, and an efficiency increment from 46% to 60% at P opt = 14 W. A narrow spectral width (< 1 nm at 95% power content) is maintained across a very wide operating range. Consistent with earlier studies, a narrower far-field divergence angle and consequently an improved beam-parameter product is also observed, compared to the ASLOC-based lasers.
Real-time gas sensing based on optical feedback in a terahertz quantum-cascade laser
We report on real-time gas sensing with a terahertz quantum-cascade laser (QCL). The method is solely based on the modulation of the external cavity length, exploiting the intermediate optical feedback regime. While the QCL is operated in continuous-wave mode, optical feedback results in a change of the QCL frequency as well as its terminal voltage. The first effect is exploited to tune the lasing frequency across a molecular absorption line. The second effect is used for the detection of the self-mixing signal. This allows for fast measurement times on the order of 10 ms per spectrum and for real-time measurements of gas concentrations with a rate of 100 Hz. This technique is demonstrated with a mixture of D2O and CH3OD in an absorption cell.
Nonlinear dynamical properties of frequency swept fiber-based semiconductor lasers
We investigate dynamics of semiconductor lasers with fiber-based unidirectional ring cavity that can be used as frequency swept sources. We identify key factors behind the reach dynamical behavior of such lasers using state-of-the-art experimental and analytical methods. Experimentally, we study the laser in static, quasi-static and synchronization regimes. We apply experimental methods such as optical heterodyne or electric field reconstruction in order to characterize these regimes or study the mechanisms of transition between them. Using a delay differential equation model, we demonstrate that the presence of chromatic dispersion can lead to destabilization of the laser modes through modulational instability, which results in undesirable chaotic emission. We characterize the instability threshold both theoretically and experimentally, and demonstrate deterioration of the Fourier domain mode locking regime near the threshold.
Modeling of edge-emitting lasers based on tensile strained germanium microstrips
In this paper, we present a thorough modeling of an edge-emitting laser based on strained germanium (Ge) microstrips. The full-band structure of the tensile strained Ge layer enters the calculation of optical properties. Material gain for strained Ge is used in the 2D simulation of the carrier transport and of the optical field within a cross section of the microstrips orthogonal to the optical cavity. We study optoelectronic properties of the device for two different designs. The simulation results are very promising as they show feasible ways toward Ge emitter devices with lower threshold currents and higher efficiency as published insofar.
Calculation of the steady states in dynamic semiconductor laser models
We discuss numerical challenges in calculating stable and unstable steady states of widely used dynamic semiconductor laser models. Knowledge of these states is valuable when analyzing laser dynamics and different properties of the lasing states. The example simulations and analysis mainly rely on 1(time)+1(space)-dimensional traveling-wave models, where the steady state defining conditions are formulated as a system of nonlinear algebraic equations. The performed steady state calculations reveal limitations of the Lang-Kobayashi model, explain nontrivial bias threshold relations in lasers with several electrical contacts, or predict and explain transient dynamics when simulating such lasers.
Scalable, high power line focus diode laser for crystallizing of silicon thin films
We present the design and performance of a diode laser module producing a high intensity line focus at 808 nm for material processing. The design is based on a linear array of 7 laser bars and beam forming optics featuring a micro-optic homogenizer. The module delivers a total output power of 900 W at 140 A and peak intensity created in the focus area of 10.3 kW/cm2. Two systems with line length of 5 cm and 10 cm at a large working distance of 110 mm have been realized. The chosen concept allows scaling in length by joining multiple modules which is of interest for material processing in industrial applications. Application results from laser crystallization of amorphous silicon seed layers used in the fabrication of photovoltaic cells for solar panels are given.
Optimizing Vertical and Lateral Waveguides of kW-Class Laser Bars for Higher Peak Power, Efficiency and Lateral Beam Quality
GaAs-based, highly-efficient, kW-class, 1-cm laser bars with high peak power P opt and improved beam quality in quasi-continuous-wave mode are presented. The use of an extreme-triple-asymmetric (ETAS) epitaxial layer structure diminishes power saturation of high-power bars at high driving current. The resulting ETAS bars with 4 mm cavity produce a record 1.9 kW peak power, limited by available current supply, with a maximum power conversion efficiency η E = 67% at T HS = 25 °C heat-sink temperature. Both P opt and η E have been increased further by operating the bars at T HS = −70 °C. Sub-zero operation raises the P opt to 2.3 kW and the maximum η E to 74%. A second configuration of ETAS bars with optimized lateral layout is further realized to obtain narrow lateral beam divergence θ up to 2 kA driving current, without sacrificing P opt and η E . A 2–3° lower θ (95% power level) is observed over a wide operating range at room temperature. A high degree of polarization is also maintained across the whole operatingrange.
High-spectral-resolution terahertz imaging with a quantum-cascade laser
We report on a high-spectral-resolution terahertz imaging system operating with a multi-mode quantum-cascade laser (QCL), a fast scanning mirror, and a sensitive Ge:Ga detector. By tuning the frequency of the QCL, several spectra can be recorded in 1.5 s during the scan through a gas cell filled with methanol (CH3OH). These experiments yield information about the local absorption and the linewidth. Measurements with a faster frame rate of up to 3 Hz allow for the dynamic observation of CH3OH gas leaking from a terahertz-transparent tube into the evacuated cell. In addition to the relative absorption, the local pressure is mapped by exploiting the effect of pressure broadening.