Validation of Model of Eternal-Cavity Semiconductor Laser and Extrapolation from Five-Element to Multielement Fiber-Coupled High-Power Laser.

摘要

The model used to explain the operation of an external cavity containing five discrete AR-coated semiconductor lasers and a spatial filter to assure coherent output from the cavity has been experimentally validated. This model predicts that the external cavity will operate as a coherent source with a multitude of discrete individual lasers and/or monolithic arrays. Control by an external cavity of the series combination of an optical fiber and an AR-coated semiconductor laser has previously been demonstrated. For systems requiring high average-power operation, distributed Ar-coated lasers that ar fiber coupled into an external cavity provide a potential alternative to broad-area lasers or monolithic laser arrays with high density of power dissipation which must use thermoelectric or other cooling. In comparing these approaches, system tradeoff should be made between the added complexity of the cooling system and the added complexity of the external cavity. An annular input to the external cavity from an array of fibers is proposed for high beam quality. Keywords: External cavity semiconductor laser; Spatial filter; Antireflection coated lasers; Reprints. (JHD)