High power semiconductor laser
First Claim
1. A semiconductor laser comprising:
- an elongated active gain medium layer;
a relatively narrower mirror facet at one end of the gain layer;
an output facet at the other end of the gain layer sufficiently aligned with the mirror facet for Fabry-Perot oscillation between the facets, the output facet being relatively wider than the mirror facet;
means adjacent to only the mirror facet for pumping a parallel edged index guided portion of the gain layer for stimulated emission of radiation in a mode selecting waveguide portion of the gain layer; and
means for pumping a diverging portion of the gain layer between the parallel edged portion and the output facet for stimulated emission of radiation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A heterostructure semiconductor laser provides high power by having a wide output facet so that the power density at the output facet is low enough to avoid catastrophic optical mirror damage. Single transverse mode oscillation occurs in the center of a pumped trapezoidal gain medium layer between the wide output facet and a relatively narrower mirror facet. Stimulated emission of radiation in the balance of the pumped trapezoidal area produces high power output. At the opposite end of the gain layer from the output facet, a parallel edged, index guided pumped region of the gain layer provides a single transverse mode wave guide for assuring single mode output. Preferably the narrower facet has a higher reflectivity than the wider facet, and a non-absorbing window is provided at the wider facet, for lowest lasing threshold and highest power output.
60 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A semiconductor laser comprising:
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an elongated active gain medium layer; a relatively narrower mirror facet at one end of the gain layer; an output facet at the other end of the gain layer sufficiently aligned with the mirror facet for Fabry-Perot oscillation between the facets, the output facet being relatively wider than the mirror facet; means adjacent to only the mirror facet for pumping a parallel edged index guided portion of the gain layer for stimulated emission of radiation in a mode selecting waveguide portion of the gain layer; and means for pumping a diverging portion of the gain layer between the parallel edged portion and the output facet for stimulated emission of radiation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A heterostructure semiconductor laser comprising:
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an elongated active gain medium layer; a relatively narrower, higher reflectivity mirror facet at one end of the gain layer; a relatively wider, lower reflectivity output facet at the other end of the gain layer sufficiently aligned with the mirror facet for Fabry-Perot oscillation between the facets; and means for pumping for stimulated emission of radiation an area of the gain medium having parallel index guided edges adjacent to the mirror facet and having edges diverging from the ends of the parallel edges toward the output facet. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A heterostructure semiconductor laser comprising:
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an elongated active gain medium layer; a relatively narrower, higher reflectivity mirror facet at one end of the layer; a relatively wider, lower reflectively output facet at the other end of the layer sufficiently aligned with the mirror facet for Fabry-Perot oscillation between the facets; means for pumping for gain guided stimulated emission of radiation an area of the gain layer having edges diverging toward the output facet; means for pumping the gain layer in an elongated area having parallel edges between the narrower end of the diverging area and the mirror, facet; and means for index guiding radiation in the elongated area having parallel edges. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A heterostructure semiconductor laser comprising:
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an active gain medium layer; means for pumping a longitudinally symmetrical trapezoidal area of the gain layer for stimulating radiation therein; an at least partially reflective facet adjacent to the wider parallel edge of the trapezoidal area for forming a Fabry-Perot cavity; a non-pumped area of the gain layer lying along each non-parallel edge of the trapezoidal area; means for pumping an area of the gain layer having parallel index guiding edges extending normal to the smaller parallel edge of the trapezoidal area; and an at least partially reflective facet at the end of the index guided area remote from the smaller edge of the trapezoidal area.
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Specification