High-brightness slab-coupled optical waveguide laser arrays

Abstract

We have constructed high brightness slab-coupled optical waveguide laser arrays. Devices in the array emit in large nearly circular single-spatial modes. We have shown that optical cross-coupling in closely spaced devices is not an issue for maintaining single-mode output, including the effects of slab-coupling. By appropriate heat-sinking, we have shown linear continuous-wave power densities of 98 W/cm along the array emission aperture.