Diode Lasers
Definition: semiconductor laser devices based on laser diodes
More general term: semiconductor lasers
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
German: Diodenlaser
Categories: optoelectronics, laser devices and laser physics
Author: Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta
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.
Suppliers
The RP Photonics Buyer's Guide contains 92 suppliers for diode lasers. Among them:


Sacher Lasertechnik
Sacher Lasertechnik offers a wide range of diode lasers. These include:
Both free-space and fiber-coupled lasers are available.
Further, there are diode laser systems, e.g. for Raman spectroscopy or time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy.


Vescent Photonics
Vescent Photonics offers the D2-100 DBR-based tunable single-frequency diode lasers for precision spectroscopy of alkali metal vapors.


HÜBNER Photonics
Some of the lasers of HÜBNER Photonics are diode lasers with fully integrated electronics, allowing for rapid power modulation (rise time <2.5 ns). They are available with emission wavelengths between 375 nm and 975 nm, free-space or fiber coupled output, and output powers between 50 mW and 400 mW.


AMPHOS
The Amphos6000 is a powerful diode laser pump source for high-power solid state lasers, which can also be used in pulsed operation. The focus beam cross section can have a homogeneous square, rectangular or line-shaped profile. The typical peak power is several tens of kilowatts. Most systems are custom build for the specific requirements. AMPHOS delivers the full system including control unit, chiller and software package (e.g. EPICS driver) to integrate into larger systems.


Focuslight Technologies
Focuslight Technologies produces a wide range of high power diode lasers, including both bare laser diodes and packaged lasers (modules). Free-space and fiber-coupled versions are available.


Sheaumann Laser
Sheaumann Laser offers a wide range of laser diodes, ranging from low-power single-mode emitters to multimode high-power lasers. Many different packaging options (with free-space output or fiber-coupled) are available. Emission wavelengths range from 785 nm to 1064 nm.


Advanced Photonic Sciences
APS’ SmartLaser Device is a plug-and-play unit that can be used to operate, cool, and monitor laser diodes of varying size and wavelength. The SmartLaser is universal in nature and is designed to be used as a base unit to easily switch diodes (sub-mounts). The compact assembly includes a 3D printed case, active air-cooling, TEC, and integrated circuitry.


RPMC Lasers
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, quantum cascade laser diodes, superluminescent laser diodes (SLEDs) and vertical cavity surface emitting laser diodes (VCSELS). We also offer 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.


Lumibird
Lumibird manufactures a wide range of laser diodes and laser diode modules. Our offering includes QCW diode stacks, CW laser diode modules, fiber coupled QCW diode stacks, short pulse laser diode illuminators, as well as high brightness diode source, IALDA, and pulsed power supply drivers for QCW diodes.


TOPTICA Photonics
Diode lasers combine plug-and-play operation, compact form factor and maximum performance. TOPTICA offers single-mode diode lasers, multi-color lasers, single-frequency lasers, and tunable diode lasers for demanding applications in biophotonics, industrial metrology and quantum technology. TOPTICA provides the widest wavelength coverage of diode lasers on the market (190 – 3500 nm).


Eblana Photonics
Eblana Photonics' core product offerings are based on our patented Discrete-Mode (DFB like) manufacturing technology, which delivers industry leading performance with fully scalable, consistent production and integration capability.
Eblana’s products are used extensively for trace gas sensing and environmental monitoring in the near- and mid-IR.
In addition, the inherent low linewidth performance of the DM platform in comparison to typical DFB lasers is uniquely suited to distributed fibre sensing and LIDAR applications, as well as scientific and metrology projects.


CNI Laser
CNI offers a wide wavelength range of diode lasers with wavelengths from 375 nm to 1.9 μm, including TEM00 mode diode lasers, multi-line diode lasers, wavelength-tunable diode lasers, narrow linewidth lasers, long coherent diode lasers and others. They are all widely used in many scientific and industrial applications.

CSRayzer Optical Technology
CSRayzer provides diode laser modules in butterfly package or TO-CAN package, operating in various wavelength bands. They include DBF laser diodes, SOA laser module, SLED, and pump LDs.


Alpes Lasers
Alpes Lasers manufactures laser diodes emitting at wavelengths from 1.45 to 2.15 μm with powers up to 50 mW. They are offered either as chip-on-carrier or encapsulated in a low power TO-66 package with collimated or divergent free-space beam output.


Edmund Optics
Edmund Optics offers a wide range of diode laser sources, including machine vision lasers, life science lasers, metrology lasers, industrial and point lasers, and material processing lasers.
See also: laser diodes, laser diode modules, semiconductor lasers, laser diode collimators, laser diode drivers
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