Multisegmented Semiconductor High Power Lasers

SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS WITH HIGH POWER AND GOOD SPATIAL-MODE QUALITY ARE USEFUL FOR MANY APPLICATIONS IN MATERIALS PROCESSING AND LASER RADAR. COMMERCIAL HIGH POWER SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS ARE LIMITED IN OUTPUT POWER DUE TO CATASTROPHIC DEGRADATION AT THE OUTPUT FACET, AND REQUIRE BEAM-SHAPING OPTICS TO CORRECT FOR BEAM ASYMMETRIES AND LARGE DIVERGENCE ANGLES. OPTICAL PUMPING OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL ALLOWS FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN PUMPING SCHEMES AND PERMITS GOOD CONTROL OF TRANSVERSE MODE QUALITY TO ACHIEVE EXCELLENT, CIRCULARLY SYMMETRIC BEAM QUALITY. IN A MULTIPLE-ELEMENT DESIGN, OUTPUT POWER CAN POTENTIALLY SCALE TO LEVELS >100 W AVERAGE AND >5 KW PEAK. THIS RESULTS IN A CAPABILITY NOT YET REALIZED WITH COMMERCIAL SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS.