Abstract

Laser diode arrays can be grouped into two categories, single and multiple emitter arrays. The single emitter arrays have a single broad light emitting region, whereas the multiple emitter arrays have multiples of such regions spaced along a monolithic laser material. The maximum cw output power levels demonstrated have been 8 W for the single emitter arrays (200-μm aperture width)¹ and 76 W for the multiple emitter arrays (thirty ten-stripe arrays spaced in a 1-cm bar, 3000-μm total aperture width).² The maximum cw power levels at which lifetests were performed, however, have been limited to much lower values, i.e., 1 and 0.5 W for the single emitter arrays (200 and 100 μm, respectively)³ and 10 W for the multiple emitter arrays (3000-μm total aperture width).⁴

© 1990 Optical Society of America