Diode Lasers

Author: the photonics expert Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta

Definition: semiconductor laser devices based on laser diodes

More specific terms: high brightness laser diodes, diode bars, diode stacks, vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers, external-cavity diode lasers, fiber-coupled diode lasers, mode-locked diode lasers, direct diode lasers

Categories: article belongs to category optoelectronics optoelectronics, article belongs to category laser devices and laser physics laser devices and laser physics

DOI: 10.61835/sie Cite the article: BibTex plain text HTML Link to this page LinkedIn

Diode lasers are semiconductor laser devices based on laser diodes. Although the terms diode laser and laser diode are often used with the same meaning, it is appropriate to distinguish the terms: the diode laser is a laser device, which may sometimes consist only of a single laser diode, but may also contain additional items:

The laser diode may be combined with an external optical resonator, so that the device is an external-cavity diode laser.
A diode laser device may contain multiple laser diodes with some optics for beam combining (for example spectral beam combining).
A diode laser may also include additional optics outside the laser resonator, such as a beam collimator or a beam shaper, means for coupling the light to an optical fiber (→ fiber-coupled diode lasers or pigtailed diode lasers), or means to provide optical feedback, e.g. in order to reduce the emission linewidth.
In some cases, a device for nonlinear frequency conversion is also included.
A diode laser may be provided with a housing, which may also contain means for temperature stabilization of the laser diode and a laser diode driver. See also the article on laser diode modules.

Applications of diode lasers are mentioned in the article on laser diodes.

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Suppliers

The RP Photonics Buyer's Guide contains 102 suppliers for diode lasers. Among them:

AeroDIODE

SHIPS TODAY: AeroDIODE offers fiber-coupled laser diodes between 520 nm and 1650 nm as stock items or associated with a CW or pulsed laser diode driver. They are compatible with our high speed nanosecond pulsed drivers or high power CW drivers (with air cooling) for the multimode high power laser diode versions. The single mode laser diodes (either Fabry–Pérot laser diode or DFB laser diode) can reach high power in nanosecond pulse regime up to 400 mW. Most turn-key diode & driver solutions are optimized for single-shot to CW performances with pulse width lengths down to 1 ns. The laser diode precision pulses are generated internally by an on-board pulse generator, or on demand from an external TTL signal. Many multimode versions are available with CW emission up to 450 W in a 200-µm core multimode fiber or up to 250 W in a 135-µm core fiber or 160 W in a 105 µm core fiber.

RPMC Lasers

Serving North America, RPMC Lasers offers one of the broadest wavelength selections of semiconductor laser diodes available. Our diode laser products include single-mode and multimode laser diodes, single emitter and multi-emitter multimode laser diodes, laser diode bars and stacks, and quantum cascade laser diodes. We also offer wavelength-stabilized and narrow linewidth laser diodes utilizing distributed feedback (DFB) and volume Bragg grating (VBG) technology, and multi-wavelength laser diodes and tunable laser diodes. We offer free-space and fiber-coupled options on most devices, with many package options including but not limited to chip on carrier, TO can, HHL, butterfly, MCC, and turn-key systems. Standard and custom options available. Let RPMC help you find the right laser today!

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