Abstract

Recent experiments with broad-area semiconductor optical amplifier& have demonstrated diffraction-limited pulses (0.5 μs, 10% duty cycle) with peak powers of up to 12 W.¹ Use in free-space optical communication and altimetry/ranging require such high-power diffraction-limited beams but at higher modulation limited widths and duty cycles. In light of these requirements, we have characterized the AM and FM response of a high-power AlGaAs master oscillator-broad-area power amplifier (MOPA) configuration.

© 1992 Optical Society of America