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Low spatial coherence electrically pumped semiconductor laser for speckle-free full-field imaging
Brandon Redding1, Alexander Cerjan1, Xue Huang2
1Departments of Applied Physics.
Summary
Researchers developed a novel semiconductor laser with low spatial coherence and high power per mode. This chaotic cavity laser enables speckle-free imaging, overcoming limitations of traditional lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Semiconductor Lasers
- Imaging Technologies
Background:
- Conventional laser sources exhibit high spatial coherence, leading to artifacts like speckle in imaging applications.
- Incoherent sources (LEDs, thermal) offer low spatial coherence but lack high power per spatial mode.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a chip-scale, electrically pumped semiconductor laser with reduced spatial coherence and high power per mode.
- To demonstrate speckle-free full-field imaging using this novel laser source.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a chip-scale semiconductor laser with a chaotic, D-shaped cavity.
- Optimization of the cavity design for highly multimode lasing.
- Utilizing the laser as an illumination source for full-field imaging.
Main Results:
- The novel laser design achieved simultaneous lasing in approximately 1,000 modes, resulting in low spatial coherence.
- Speckle-free full-field imaging was successfully demonstrated.
- The laser exhibited significantly higher power per mode compared to LEDs or thermal sources.
Conclusions:
- The developed chaotic cavity laser offers a compact, low-cost solution combining low spatial coherence with high spectral radiance.
- This technology has the potential to enable advanced high-speed, full-field imaging and projection applications.
