Technologies and applications of Al‐free high‐power laser diodes

We report high‐power technologies in 0.8‐µm Al‐free InGaAsP/InGaP laser diodes. To realize the high‐power operation, the improvement of catastrophic optical mirror damage (COMD) power density level is required. In addition to the use of low surface recombination velocity of Al‐free materials, optimization of waveguide thickness in broad waveguide structure with tensile‐strained barriers and current blocking structure near facets has led to high COMD power density level. Highly stable operation of Al‐free laser diodes with these structures has been obtained over 2500 hours at 2 W from a stripe width of µm. Applications of high‐power laser diodes are also described. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 158(1): 53–59, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20286