Since 2000, semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) have been used to realize mode locking of vertical external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs), achieving femtosecond pulse durations, GHZ repetition rates and several Watts of average output power. Despite these excellent results, SESAMs which have to be carefully adjusted to the gain structure can be a limiting factor for the development of a cost-effective pulsed laser system. In recent years, a new concept of VECSEL mode locking, the self-mode locking technique, has been demonstrated. While the mechanism behind this kind of mode locking is not yet fully explained, most publications focus on the effect of Kerr lensing.
We present first experiments on SESAM-free mode locking of red-emitting AlGaInP-VECSELs with different cavity geometries based on the assumption of Kerr lensing in the active region. Our semiconductor samples are grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy with an active region containing GaInP quantum wells embedded in AlGaInP barriers and cladding layers. In order to exploit the effect of Kerr lensing, a slit is placed inside the cavity acting as a hard aperture. When the beam width is confined, pulsed operation is observed by oscilloscope and autocorrelation measurements. Ongoing research is focusing on a detailed characterization of the pulsed laser to improve one's understanding of the obtained SESAM-free mode-locked operation.
We report a continuous wave operation of a quantum-well and multi-pass-pumped AlGaInP based red vertical-external cavity surface-emitting laser emitting at 660 nm. The laser output power was 1.5 W with a slope efficiency of 35 %. The critical role of optimizing the sample design both for the pump and laser wavelengths, pump spot size, and the number of pump light passes were experimentally investigated.
The wide range of applications in biophotonics, television or projectors, spectroscopy and lithography made the optically-pumped semiconductor (OPS) vertical external cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) an important category of power scalable lasers. The possibility of bandgap engineering, inserting frequency selective and converting elements into the open laser cavity and laser emission in the fundamental Gaussian mode leads to ongoing growth of the area of applications for tuneable laser sources. We present an AlGaInP-VECSEL system with a multi quantum well structure consisting of compressively strained GaInP quantum wells in an AlxGa1-xInP separate confinement heterostructure with an emission wavelength around 665 nm. The VECSEL chip with its n-λ cavity is pumped by a 532nm Nd:YAG laser under an angle to the normal incidence of 50°. In comparison, a gain chip design for high absorption values at pump wavelengths around 640nm with the use of quantum dot layers as active material is also presented. Frequency doubling is now realized with an antireflection coated lithium borate crystal, while a birefringent filter, placed inside the laser cavity under Brewster's angle, is used for frequency tuning. Further, power-scaling methods like in-well pumping as well as embedding the active region of a VECSEL between two transparent ic heaspreaders are under investigation.
Optically pumped semiconductor (OPS) vertical external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) are an important category of power scalable lasers with a wide range of applications in biophotonics, medicine technologies, spectroscopy, projector technologies and lithography. The open laser resonator allows to implement frequency selective and converting intra-cavity elements. The possibility of bandgap engineering, laser emission in the fundamental Gaussian mode and the technical simplicity leads to ongoing growth of the area of applications for these tunable laser sources. We present degradation studies of metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) grown, optically pumped, red-emitting AlGaInP-VECSELs with quantum wells (QWs) as active layers. Laser performance in continuous operation, pumped with a 532nm Nd:YAG laser and recorded over several hours, will be shown. Surface investigations of the gain structure via large-area photoluminescence maps show the possible consequences of optical pumping. A comparison of barrier-pumped performance data with the data of an in-well pumped VECSEL device is shown.
We present passive mode locking of a vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) in the red spectral range with quantum dots (QDs) as active material in the gain and in the absorber structure. Both semiconductor samples are fabricated by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) in a near-anti-resonant design. A vshaped cavity is used to tightly focus onto the semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM), producing pulses with a duration of less than 1 ps and a repetition rate of 852MHz. In order to increase the field enhancement inside the absorber structure, some SESAM samples were additionally coated with a fused silica layer. The pulse duration as well as the mode locking stability were investigated for different thicknesses of the SiO2 layer. The most stable mode locking operation is observed for a 97 nm SiO2 layer, while the disadvantage of this overall near-resonant SESAM structure is an increased pulse duration of around 2 ps. Due to the improved stability, the transmission of the outcoupling mirror could be increased resulting in an average output power of 10mW at an emission wavelength of 651 nm.
We present passive mode locking of a vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) in the red spectral range. The gain structure includes 20 compressively strained GaInP quantum wells (QWs), which are arranged in a resonant periodic gain design containing five packages of four quantum wells each. We use tensile strained AlGaInP barriers and cladding layers to compensate the strain introduced by the quantum wells. The semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) includes two of the same quantum wells as used in the gain structure, positioned close to the surface. The semiconductor structure is grown by MOVPE in a near-resonant design and coated with a fused silica layer for an overall anti-resonant design. For tight focussing of the laser mode onto the absorber, we use a v-shaped cavity with an overall length of 179mm. Autocorrelation measurements show a FWHM pulse duration below 250 fs with side pulses arising due to the diamond heatspreader bonded onto the gain chip. The laser spectrum consists of a soliton-like part at 664.5 nm and a “continuum” which is also found in autocorrelation measurements perfomed in a Hanbury-Brown and Twiss type setup. An FFT based frequency analysis of the emitted pulse train shows a repetition rate of 836MHz. The SESAM charge carrier dynamics were investigated by pump-probe measurements. We observe a tri-exponential decay with a dominant fast decay time in the range of the pulse duration.
We present a non-resonantly pumped vertical external cavity surface-emitting laser in a compact v-shaped cavity
configuration. By using intra-cavity frequency doubling in combination with a birefringent filter, a tunable high
power UV laser source with an emission wavelength around 335 nm is realized. The fundamental red laser
emission is based on a metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy grown (GaxIn1-x)0.5P0.5/[(AlxGa1-x)yIn1-y]0.5P0.5
(abbr. GaInP/AlGaInP) multi-quantum-well structure. Five quantum well packages with four compressively
strained quantum wells are placed in a separate confinement heterostructure in a resonant periodic gain design in
strain-compensating quaternary AlGaInP barriers and cladding layers, respectively. The 3 λ cavity is fabricated
on a 55 λ/4 pairs Al0.45Ga0.55As/AlAs distributed Bragg reflector. By using a beta barium borate non-linear
crystal for second harmonic generation, output powers up to 150mWat a wavelength of 335 nm could be realized.
Tuning of the laser resonance was accomplished with a birefringent filter. A tuning of 9 nm in the UV will be
shown.
We present a comparison of epitaxial designs for non-resonantly pumped vertical external cavity surface-emitting
lasers for emission in the red spectral range around 665 nm. Here, the VECSEL chip is based on a metal-organic
vapor-phase epitaxy grown (GaxIn1-x)0.5P0.5/[(AlxGa1-x)yIn1-y]0.5P0.5 multi-quantum-well structure with 20
compressively-strained quantum wells. The wells are placed in packages in a separate confinement heterostructure
with quaternary AlGaInP barriers and cladding layers, respectively. The active region is fabricated on a 55 λ/4
pairs Al0.50Ga0.50As/AlAs distributed Bragg reflector. We compare two designs with different quantum well
distributions in the chip: one design which includes 4 quantum wells in 5 packages whereas the other contains
10 quantum well pairs to have a larger absorption length. Laser parameters like output power, differential
efficiency and threshold pump power of the different chip designs measured in a v-shaped cavity configuration
are examined. By using the 10 × 2 quantum well distribution in the chip, we could improve the absorption
efficiency by nearly 40% and output power by 25% compared to the 5 × 4 design. Additionally, by introducing
tensile strained quaternary barriers and cladding layers in the 5 × 4 QW design, we could compensate for the
compressive strain introduced by the quantum wells. Photoluminenscence measurements of structures with
different numbers of quantum well packages reveal a more homogenous quantum well growth due to the strain-compensation
technique. Furthermore, with the strain compensation technique, the output power could be
increased over 30% compared to our conventional structures.
The wide range of applications in biophotonics, television or projectors, spectroscopy and lithography made the
vertical external cavity surface-emitting lasers an important category of power scalable lasers. The possibility of
bandgap engineering, inserting frequency selective and converting elements into the external laser cavity and laser
emission in the fundamental Gaussian mode leads to ongoing growth of the area of applications for tunable laser
sources. We present an intra cavity frequency-doubled VECSEL with emission wavelength around 330 nm and a
maximum tuning range of more than 7nm with output powers exeeding 100mW. Frequency doubling is realized
with an anti-reflection coated beta barium borate crystal, while a birefringent filter, placed inside the laser cavity
under Brewster's angle, is used for frequency tuning. The fundamental laser, pumped by a 532nm Nd:YAG laser
under an angle of 50° normal to the surface, is realized by a multi quantum well structure consisting of 20
compressively strained GaInP quantum wells in an AlxGa1-xInP separate confinement heterostructure and it
emits around 660 nm. The VECSEL-chip with its n-λ cavity is completed by a 55 λ/4 pairs Al0.50Ga0.50As/AlAs
distributed Bragg reflector. Next to the optical properties of the device, we show results of different arrangements
of the quantum wells, namely five times four and ten times two packages.
We present a non-resonantly pumped red-emitting vertical external cavity surface-emitting laser system based
on a multi-quantum-well structure with 20 compressively-strained GaInP quantum wells for an operation wavelength
between 645-675 nm. Five quantum well packages with four quantum wells are placed in a separate
confinement heterostructure in a resonant periodic gain design in quaternary AlGaInP barriers and cladding layers,
respectively. The 3 λ cavity is fabricated on a 55 λ/4 pairs Al0.50Ga0.50As/AlAs distributed Bragg reflector.
By bonding an intra-cavity diamond heatspreader to the chip, continuous-wave operation exceeding 700mW
output power at a wavelength of 662 nm with a low threshold power of 0.8W was achieved. A thermal resistance
value of R1 = 5K/W and R2 = 7K/W could be determined for our setup at operation heatsink temperatures
of Ths = -28°C and Ths = 16°C, respectively. Measurements of the slope efficiency within a v-type cavity with
different outcoupling mirror reflectivities lead to a cavity round-trip transmission factor of Tloss = 98.6% and an
absorption efficiency of ηabs = 17.6%. Using a birefringent filter in a folded cavity, a maximum tuning range
of 22 nm at a center wavelength of 667 nm could be shown. With this method wavelengths below 650 nm were
observed. Utilizing a non-linear crystal for intra-cavity frequency doubling in this cavity geometry, coherent
emission down to 322 nm could be detected. In the UV spectral range, a maximum tuning range of 10 nm could
be measured at a center wavelength of 330 nm, so we could match the HeCd laser line at 325 nm.
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