Multichip Optical Coupling Technology for Opto-Electronic Packages

The development of solid state blue lasers will open up new markets in areas from medical instrumentation to printing and inspection. However, the technology for coupling an infrared diode pump laser to a frequency doubling unit does not presently offer the capacity for blue generation at high enough power levels. We have devised a new method for increasing the efficiency of this coupling which should increase the available blue power output by a factor of ten or more. In Phase I we will demonstrate the technology behind our efficiency enhancement approach, and in Phase II we will optimize the design and demonstrate the full potential of the approach. The improved blue power we will make available in a successful program will enable solid state blue laser technology to satisfy market needs now satisfied by the bulky and inefficient air cooled argon laser. These markets include medical diagnostics, printing, inspection, and research.