Integrated power conditioning for laser diode arrays

The authors describe a compact pulsed power modulator which has demonstrated its ability to efficiently and accurately drive a laser diode array. The addition of a crowbar protection circuit is an invaluable addition to the integrated system and is capable of protecting the laser diode array against severe damage. The authors show that the correlation between measured data and simulation indicates that their modulator model is valid and can be used as a tool in the design of future systems. The spectrometer measurements that they conducted underline the importance of current regulation to stable laser operation.