High-peak power from optically-pumped mid-IR semiconductor lasers

Author

Ongstad, A.P. ; Dente, G.C. ; Tilton, M.L. ; Chavez, J.C. ; Kaspi, R. ; Gianardi, D.M.

Author_Institution

Directed Energy Directorate AFRL/DELS, Air Force Res. Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM, USA

fYear

2012

fDate

9-11 July 2012

Firstpage

41

Lastpage

42

Abstract

We describe high peak-power, broad area mid-infrared semiconductor lasers. The laser structures incorporated 14 type-II quantum wells imbedded in thick waveguide/absorber regions composed of InGaAsSb. The Fabry-Perot lasers were optically pumped with the output from a passively-Q-switched Ho:YAG laser capable of delivering 100 kW at 2.09 um. The emission from the optically pumped semiconductor laser (OPSL) was near 4.1 um. The emission was spectrally and temporally resolved and showed evidence for the creation of a hot-carrier population at the higher pump powers. A roll-over in the OPSL output power curve was observed at pump-powers greater than ~20 kW. The maximum single-ended OPSL power was near 470W.

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; Q-switching; gallium arsenide; indium compounds; infrared sources; optical pumping; quantum well lasers; waveguide lasers; Fabry-Perot lasers; InGaAsSb; high peak-power broad area midinfrared semiconductor lasers; hot-carrier population; laser structures; optical pumping; optically-pumped mid-IR semiconductor lasers; passively-Q-switched Ho:YAG laser; power 100 kW; pump powers; single-ended OPSL output power curve; spectrally resolved emission; temporally resolved emission; thick absorber; thick waveguide; type-II quantum wells; wavelength 2.09 mum; Optical pumping; Power lasers; Pump lasers; Quantum well lasers; Waveguide lasers;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photonics Society Summer Topical Meeting Series, 2012 IEEE

Conference_Location

Seattle, WA

Print_ISBN

978-1-4577-1526-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PHOSST.2012.6280739

Filename

6280739