High reliability, high power, single mode laser diodes

Abstract

Single stripe GaAs/AlGaAs, 4 μm wide real refractive index guided lasers are operated at powers up to 500 mW CW with total conversion efficiencies of 60%. Reliability studies of these lasers indicate an average lifetime of greater than 20000 h at 5°C at an operating power of 100 mW CW. The laser operates in a single transverse and longitudinal mode with a spectral linewidth of less than 6 MHz and a side mode suppression ratio of better than −30dB.