Controlling the outcoupled power in a dual wavelength optically pumped semiconductor laser

Abstract

We present a study of a dual wavelength optically pumped midinfrared semiconductor laser. In order to control the outcoupled power of each wavelength, the modal overlap between the adjacent gain regions was minimized while the pump absorbance for each gain region was balanced. The nominal power expectation, based solely on the absorbed power per gain region, was observed to be generally in good agreement with measurement. Improved power accounting can be accomplished if the waveguide loss and internal efficiency at each operational wavelength is known.

Plasmonic Beam Shaping in the Mid-infrared

“…Laser beam shaping is conventionally conducted externally using optical components that can be bulky and expensive with operating wavelength limitations. In this study, Type-I [3] and Type-II [4] edgeemitting Optically Pumped Semiconductor Lasers (OPSLs), that operate based on interband transitions between the conduction and valence bands, are considered to demonstrate the role that plasmonics plays in providing a viable solution for beam shaping using corrugated thin metal films in the 3µm to 5µm wavelength range. Functional narrow-beam devices have been demonstrated further into the infrared (between 8µm and 10µm) using Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) by the Capasso group in Harvard using slit apertures in thin layers of gold surrounded by both 1D and 2D gratings [5][6][7].…”

Transparency pump intensity and differential gain in resonantly pumped W optical pumping injection cavity lasers

“…7,8,[10][11][12] While electrically injected lasers are the ultimate goal from the perspective of compact packaging and high wall-plug efficiency, their optically pumped counterparts have reached higher peak output powers 13,14 and maximum operating temperatures. [15][16][17] Dualwavelength emission optically pumped lasers have recently been demonstrated with considerable power at both wavelengths, [18][19][20] and high brightness operation of optically pumped type-II W semiconductor lasers 13,21 demonstrates strong potential for applications to long-range sensing, infrared countermeasures, and free-space optical communications in the mid-infrared.…”