<title>Recent progress of high-power 14XX nm pump lasers</title>

Abstract

High power pump lasers in wavelength range from 1400 to 1520 nm, namely 14XX nm lasers, are heavily demanded for Raman amplification as well as existing Erbium doped fiber (EDF) amplification in recent Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) optical communication networks.We achieved the record highest optical power output 14XX nm pump laser of 400 mW at the single mode fiber end as a production level. Rollover fiber coupled power was over 500 mW for this device. The pump laser module with newly designed package operated up to the case temperature of 75 degrees C, and laser chip temperature of 25 degrees C. This is the first demonstration at the operating case temperature as high as 75 degree C with 400 mW optical power output range of 14XX nm pump laser module. The technical challenge for higher optical power output operation is how to minimize the heat-generation from the laser chip. For this purpose, we investigated two different design parameters: the operating power consumption and the operating current of the laser.We found that the former parameter is more effective design goal than the latter one, in order to realize both high optical power output operation and long term reliability performances. We also showed that the reliability performance in 14XX nm lasers is not dependent on the facet optical power output, but dominated by the junction temperature at the active region of the lasers.