Ultrahigh-power laser diode array pump source for fiber lasers

Summary form only given. High-power laser diode arrays (HPLDAs) are finding increasing application in many fields due to low cost, small size, and high efficiency. One factor limiting the use of HPLDAs is the highly asymmetric beam which is difficult to efficiently couple to optical fibers or focus to small spots. We remove this obstacle by using a novel optical beamshaping technique that allows us to achieve unprecedented high brightness fiber-coupled power levels with a single multimode HPLDA. One-centimeter-wide HPLDAs were fabricated from InGaAs-AlGaAs epitaxial GRINSCH material.