Abstract
We review the recent advances in the development of semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) producing yellow-orange and mid-IR radiation. In particular, we focus on presenting the fabrication challenges and characteristics of high-power GaInNAs- and GaSb-based gain mirrors. These two material systems have recently sparked a new wave of interest in developing SDLs for high-impact applications in medicine, spectroscopy, or astronomy. The dilute nitride (GaInNAs) gain mirrors enable emission of more than 11 W of output power at a wavelength range of 1180–1200 nm and subsequent intracavity frequency doubling to generate yellow-orange radiation with power exceeding 7 W. The GaSb gain mirrors have been used to leverage the advantages offered by SDLs to the 2–3 μm wavelength range. Most recently, GaSb-based SDLs incorporating semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors were used to generate optical pulses as short as 384 fs at 2 μm, the shortest pulses obtained from a semiconductor laser at this wavelength range.
Highlights
The idea of an optically pumped semiconductor disk laser (OP-SDLs) was suggested already in 1966 by Basov et al in a paper describing lasers with radiating mirrors [1]
We review the recent advances in the development of semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) producing yellow-orange and mid-IR radiation
We note here that in addition to OP-SDL, acronyms like OP-VECSEL and OPSL are commonly used in literature to describe the same type of laser
Summary
The idea of an optically pumped semiconductor disk laser (OP-SDLs) was suggested already in 1966 by Basov et al in a paper describing lasers with radiating mirrors [1]. The reflectivity of the gain mirror DBR is usually over 99.5%, the small transmitted portion of light may penetrate to the substrate (if transparent) and can be reflected back from its second surface, in which case an etalon is established in the system and the spectrum of the laser is affected Both heat management strategies have been successfully used to achieve over 10 W output from standard InGaAs/GaAs gain structures, though the highest output powers have been achieved with the flip-chip components [29, 30].
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