High-Power Pulses From Semiconductor Lasers
Tech ID: 10058 / UC Case 1994-104-0
DESCRIPTION
: Mode-locked semiconductor laser are often used as
compact, reliable, and inexpensive sources of short optical pulses.
Although mode-locked lasers reliably show good noise performance at
a wide range of repetition rates, they can only produce relatively
low-energy pulses (approximately 2 mW). If these lasers could be
used to generate high-power optical pulses, they would become an
attractive alternative to the large, expensive, and difficult to
maintain conventional benchtop laser systems, such as dye and
Nd:YAG laser systems. Researchers have improved the output power
of semiconductor laser by using an array of laser and by using
post-amplification and pulse compression techniques. However,
neither of these techniques has achieved substantial enough
increases in pulse power to displace conventional laser systems.
Researchers at the University of California have devised a more
effective post-amplification method to increase the power of these
laser optical pulses. The researchers have developed two general
methods, both of which use modified semiconductor amplifiers, to
achieve four-fold and greater power amplification with no loss of
single-mode laser beam quality.
ADVANTAGES
- Amplifier produces record average (300 mW) and peak (30
W) mode-locked output power pulses without using pulse
compression.
- Creates a viable, all-semiconductor option to larger and
more costly mode- locked laser systems for the
production of high-power optical pulses.
- Benefits of semiconductor lasers (cost, reliability, space-efficiency) make them an attractive alternative to conventional laser systems.
Patent Status
| Country | Type | Number | Dated | Case |
| United States Of America | Issued Patent | 5,799,024 | 08/25/1998 | 1994-104 |
Inventors
- Bowers, John E.
- Helkey, Roger J.
- Karin, Judith R.
- Mar, Alan
Other Information
Related cases
1994-104-0
Contact
Bernadette McCafferty / mccafferty@tia.ucsb.edu / tel: View Phone Number. Please reference Tech ID #10058.
ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGIES BY THESE INVENTORS
- Vcsels With Improved Mirror Properties
- Technique For Creating Buried Blocking Layers For Vertical-Cavity Lasers And Other Devices
- Semiconductor Hetero-Interface Photodetector
- Fused Vertical Couplers
- Efficient Optical Time-Division Demultiplexing And Signal Regeneration
- Loss Modulated Silicon Evanescent Lasers
- Low Noise, Stable Avalanche Photodiode
- Hybrid Silicon Integrated Optical Isolator and Circulator
- Method for Making a Metal Layer Semiconductor Laser
- Integration Of Ultra-Low Loss And Active Silicon Waveguide Layers
- Integrated Bidirectional Optical Amplifier (BOA) for Optical Interconnects
- Enhancement Of Thermoelectric Properties Through Polarization Engineering
- Improved Gallium Nitride (GaN) Thermoelectric Devices
