High-brightness diode lasers

The basic concepts and some modelling aspects of high-brightness semiconductor lasers are reviewed. The technology of lasers with a tapered gain-region is described. They provide the highest brightness of a semiconductor source with continuous wave emission in the visible and near infrared spectral range. Experimental results are presented for tapered lasers emitting at 735 nm and 808 nm. Output powers of 3 W were achieved in nearly diffraction limited beams. To cite this article: H. Wenzel et al., C. R. Physique 4 (2003).