Abstract

In recent years, optically pumped semiconductor disk lasers (OPSDLs) have attracted increasing interest due to their capability of delivering simultaneously high output power and excellent beam quality [1]. Recently, the realization of high-performance OPSDLs based on the (AlGaIn)(AsSb) material system with emission wavelengths ranging from 1.8 to 2.8 µm has been reported [2 - 3]. These long-wavelength semiconductor disk lasers are capable of emitting multiple Watt CW-output power (e.g. up to 5 W at 2.0 µm [2]) with a multimode emission spectra, making this laser source suitable for direct applications such as material processing and medical therapy. Other applications in this wavelength regime such as spectroscopy, long-range gas sensing (LIDAR) and free-space optical data transmission via phase modulation require narrow linewidth laser sources (sub-MHz regime) with moderately high output power (0.1-1 W range).

© 2011 Optical Society of America