Design and Performance of High Power Semiconductor Lasers

A discussion of fundamental power limits of GaAlAs/GaAs and InGaAsP/InP lasers is followed by a review of design approaches and of the current status of development of high-power semiconductor lasers. Newly designed structures and sophisticated crystal growth techniques have shifted the power limits of coherently emitting OaAlAs single-element lasers and arrays beyond 1 W of continuous wave (CW) optical power, while InGaAsP lasers of comparable structures have so far been thermally limited to about 200 mW CW power output. Power levels assuring adequate device reliability of around 100 mW are predicted for lasers from both material systems. Thus the application potential of semiconductor diode lasers has been appreciably widened.