33 W continuous output power semiconductor disk laser emitting at 1275 nm

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Semiconductor Lasers
• Materials Science

Background:

• Semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) offer high power and efficiency.
• Wafer fusion is a technique for integrating dissimilar semiconductor materials.
• Achieving high output power requires optimized gain elements and thermal management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a 1275nm semiconductor disk laser using wafer-fused gain mirrors.
• To investigate the power scaling capabilities of these gain mirrors.
• To analyze the laser's performance under varying thermal conditions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a semiconductor disk laser utilizing a wafer-fused AlInGaAs/InP-AlAs/GaAs gain mirror.
• Integration of a built-in gold (Au) reflector for unabsorbed pump light.
• Characterization of output power at different heat-sink temperatures and pump spot sizes.

Main Results:

• The laser achieved a maximum output power of 33W at -5°C with a 0.86mm pump spot and 2.5% output coupler.
• Output power decreased to ~24W when the heat-sink temperature increased to 15°C.
• Wafer-fused gain mirrors demonstrated high optical quality and uniformity, supporting power scaling.

Conclusions:

• Wafer-fused gain mirrors are suitable for high-power semiconductor disk lasers.
• The demonstrated laser design shows potential for further power scaling.
• Optimized thermal management is crucial for maximizing laser output power.