Product Code: ICAL06_M402

Compact QCW Laser Arrays for Use in Demanding Environments
Authors:
Rajiv Pathak, Lasertel; Tucson AZ USA
Chuanshun Cao, Lasertel; Tucson AZ USA
Jason Helmrich, Lasertel; Tucson AZ USA
Brian Caliva, Lasertel; Tucson AZ USA
Feliks Lapinski, Lasertel; Tucson AZ USA
Prabhu Thiagarajan, Lasertel; Tucson AZ USA
Robert Walker, Lasertel; Tucson AZ USA
Mark McElhinney, Lasertel; Tucson AZ USA
Presented at ICALEO 2006

Semiconductor lasers operating at 808nm wavelength have found widespread use in many industrial and defense settings, often operating in harsh environments. An example is a demanding Aerospace application where they are used to pump a solid state laser. Here, the lasers and the array package must be capable of operating reliably and efficiently at elevated temperatures, survive large temperature swings (-60 to 100 C), and high vibration environments. We have developed a rugged and compact conductively cooled ten bar array utilizing bars optimized to meet these requirements. This array provides peak powers in excess of 950 W under specified operating conditions of 0.5% duty cycle at 45 C. Threshold currents of 15 A, slope efficiencies of 12.8 W/A and power conversion efficiencies as high as 58% are realized at this temperature. Spectral widths of 2.5 nm FWHM are typical for the package. The array is built using only hard Au-Sn solder and materials CTE matched to GaAs. We will report on bar development, stack assembly and results of reliability, operational and environmental testing of the assembled stacks.