2.5 W orange power by frequency conversion from a dual-gain quantum-dot disk laser

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Semiconductor Lasers
• Quantum Dot Technology

Background:

• Quantum dot (QD) semiconductor gain elements offer unique optical properties for laser development.
• Intracavity frequency conversion is a critical technique for generating new wavelengths.
• Previous studies have not demonstrated intracavity frequency conversion using QD gain elements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the first intracavity frequency conversion using quantum-dot semiconductor gain elements in a disk laser.
• To investigate the performance of a dual-gain configuration for enhanced output power.
• To achieve efficient frequency doubling for orange light generation.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a disk laser incorporating two Stranski-Krastanov InGaAs quantum dot semiconductor gain elements.
• Operation in both single-gain and dual-gain configurations to assess power scaling.
• Utilizing intracavity frequency doubling to convert the fundamental laser output to a shorter wavelength.

Main Results:

• A maximum output power of 6 W was achieved in the dual-gain configuration at a wavelength of 1180 nm.
• Individual single-gain lasers produced up to 3 W and 4 W, limited by thermal rollover.
• Intracavity frequency doubling yielded 2.5 W of orange radiation, demonstrating successful conversion.

Conclusions:

• The use of two quantum-dot semiconductor gain elements enables significant output power enhancement in disk lasers.
• Intracavity frequency conversion is feasible and efficient with quantum-dot gain media.
• This work establishes a new pathway for developing compact and efficient visible light sources based on quantum dots.