Pietrzak, A: Realization of High Power Diode Lasers with Ext

Finally, these devices are also tested under `zero-heat¿ conditions (300 ns pulse duration, 1 kHz repetition rate). The `zero-heat¿ test is performed in order to investigate the factors, other than overheating of the device, that limit the maximum output power. All measurements are performed at a heat-sink temperature of 25C. The measurement techniques used to characterize the electro-optical properties of the laser and the laser beam properties are also described. More specifically, the influence of the material composition and the thickness of the waveguide layers on the vertical beam divergence angle (perpendicular to the epitaxial structure) and on the electro-optical properties of the laser is discussed. It is shown that, due to the large cross section of the investigated laser chips, catastrophic optical mirror damage (COMD) is strongly reduced and that one of the major factors limiting the maximum optical power of the discussed diode lasers is weak carrier confinement in the active region leading to enhanced carrier and optical losses due to carrier accumulation in the thick waveguide. The reason for the vertical carrier leakage is a low effective barrier between the quantum well and the GaAs waveguide. Moreover, it is shown that the carrier confinement in the active region can be strengthened in three ways. Firstly, the QW depth is increased for lasers emitting at longer wavelength (here 1130 nm). Secondly, utilizing a higher number of QWs lowers the threshold carrier density per QW. In this case, the electron Fermi-level shifts towards lower energies for lower threshold currents and thus the effective barrier heights are increased. Thirdly, in lasers emitting especially at wavelengths shorter than 1130 nm (around 1064 nm, a wavelength commercially interesting) the quantum wells are shallower and thus the effective barrier is lower. It is shown that AlGaAs waveguides are required to improve the carrier confinement. The AlGaAs alloys provide higher conduction and lower valence band edge energies of the bulk material. Consequently, the potential barrier against carrier escape from the QW to the waveguide is increased. Considering the mode expansion in the SLOC structures, it is shown, in simulation and experimentally, that the multi-quantum well active region, due to its high average refractive index, contributes significantly to the guiding of the modes. The optical mode is stronger confined in active regions with a higher number of quantum wells as well as in structures based on AlGaAs waveguides which are characterized by a lower refractive index compared to GaAs material. The increased mode confinement leads to a reduced equivalent vertical spot-size and results in a wider divergence angle of the laser beam. Moreover, by increasing the thickness of the waveguide layers the active region acts more and more as a waveguide itself thus preventing a further narrowing of the vertical far-field. As a new finding, it is presented that the introduction of low-refractive index quantum barriers (LIQB), enclosing the high-refractive index quantum wells, lowers the average refractive index of the multi-quantum well active region and thus reduces the beam divergence (the invention is content of a German Patent Application DEA102009024945). Through systematic model-based experimental investigations of a series of laser diode structures, the vertical beam divergence was reduced from 19 to 8.6 at full width at half maximum (FWHM) and from 30 to 15, at 95% power content. The achieved vertical farfield angle is smaller, by a factor of 3, than state-of-the-art laser devices. The 8 mm long and 200 ?m wide single emitters based on the investigated SLOC structures deliver more than 30 W peak-power in quasi-continuous wave mode. The large equivalent spot-size together with the facet passivation prevent COMD failure and the maximum measured power is limited due to the overheating of the device. Moreover, a 4 mm long and 200 ?m wide single emitter tested under `zero-heat¿ condition delivers 124 W power. The maximal measured power was limited by the current supply.