Advances in the reliable performance of high-power laser diodes

Applications in fiber-laser and solid-state-laser pumping demand high reliability with delivery flexibility in a competitive pricing environment. Laser-diode performance, in a given form factor, is generally enabled by highly efficient epitaxial structures and effective thermal management. A variety of pump sources, representing multiple product platforms, are described. These include an efficient, 808-nm multi-bar module (MBM) that has been operated at CW powers up to 2,500 W for applications requiring very high power per unit volume. Another example, meant for applications where redundancy is crucial, employs multiple individual pump modules which are coupled into a single fiber to deliver hundreds of watts through a 400-mum-core fiber. This redundancy is further enhanced by the fact that each mini-bar-based pump module acts as an ensemble of independent single emitters.