13-µm optically-pumped semiconductor disk laser by wafer fusion

Abstract

We report a wafer-fused high power optically-pumped semiconductor disk laser operating at 1.3 microm. An InP-based active medium was fused with a GaAs/AlGaAs distributed Bragg reflector, resulting in an integrated monolithic gain mirror. Over 2.7 W of output power, obtained at temperature of 15 degrees C, represents the best achievement reported to date for this type of lasers. The results reveal an essential advantage of the wafer fusing technique over both monolithically grown AlGaInAs/GaInAsP- and GaInNAs-based structures.

VECSEL Semiconductor Lasers: A Path to High‐Power, Quality Beam and UV to IR Wavelength by Design

“…Watt-level emission has been demonstrated in this material system at wavelengths as short as 1160-1210 nm [182]. Recently, using AlGaInAs/InP material system and wafer fusion with GaAs-based mirror, output power of 2.7 W has been demonstrated at 1300 nm wavelengths [98]. This wavelength region is also important since it allows frequency doubling to the visible orange, 590-620 nm, and red, 625-700 nm, wavelengths.…”

“…InP material system is important because of its access to the 1500-1600 nm telecom wavelength emission range. Improved VECSEL laser performance at these wavelengths has been achieved by bonding or fusing InP-based gain region wafers with high-reflectivity GaAs-based Bragg mirror wafers [97,98]. No lattice matching is required for this wafer fusion approach, thus broadening the choices available for laser emission wavelength materials and mirror materials.…”

“…But metamorphic and dielectric materials have poor thermal conductivity and such mirrors still have higher than desired thermal impedance. A novel way to overcome this material limitation is to use wafer fusion [97,98]. In this approach, lattice-matched laser mirrors are grown on one substrate in a semiconductor material system with available high index contrast materials, while the gain medium is grown on a different substrate in another material system with the desired output wavelength range.…”

“…The laser mirror and laser gain wafers with different lattice constants are then fused together; this is again much simpler for optically pumped structures where no current injection is required across the fusion interface. A dramatically improved output power performance, from 0.8 to 2.6 W CW, of 1.3 and 1.57 mm VECSELs was demonstrated using such an approach with InP-based gain wafer fused with GaAs/AlAs-based mirror wafer [97,98]. Figure 1.5 shows an example of the full semiconductor window-on-substrate wafer structure of a 980 nm VECSEL.…”

Semiconductor Disk Lasers: Recent Advances in Generation of Yellow-Orange and Mid-IR Radiation

“…Wafer fusion of different gain and active regions [82] More expensive processing. Two growths required for one component InAs/GaAs QDs [83,84] Reduced design flexibility and low modal gain Strain compensated high indium content InGaAs QWs [85] Strain-related lifetime issues Dilute nitride GaInNAs/GaAs QWs [20,62] Formation of nitrogen-related defects 1150-1300 nm wavelength range has previously been very challenging for the growth of SDLs for two main reasons.…”