3 nJ, 100 ps laser pulses generated with an asymmetric waveguide laser diode for a single-photon avalanche diode time-of-flight (SPAD TOF) rangefinder application

Abstract

An asymmetric waveguide laser diode with a thick active layer operated with enhanced gain switching is shown to be able to produce ∼100 ps, ∼25 W optical pulses in fundamental transverse mode with ∼15 A, ∼1.5 ns injection current pulses. A pulsed time-of-flight distance measurement demonstration utilizing this laser diode and a SPAD detector indicates centimetre-level precision and compensated accuracy from uncooperative targets at tens to hundreds of metres in a measurement time of a fraction of a second.