Abstract

Semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) are capable of several Watts of continuous-wave (CW) output power in a single transverse mode, with emission demonstrated from the visible to the mid-infrared. Moreover, their high-finesse extended cavities allow the incorporation of intracavity nonlinear crystals to convert to wavelengths where direct emission of SDLs is non-trivial. SDLs based on InGaAs QWs exhibit highest efficiency and output power (10s of Watts CW), but direct emission of such gain structures is limited to ~920-1180 nm [1]. Considerable effort has been devoted to extending their coverage to longer wavelengths by reducing the bandgap via the incorporation of small amounts of nitrogen (dilute nitrides) [1], or by lattice-matching to InP substrates and subsequently using wafer fusion techniques [2]. For some applications, an attractive alternative to such demanding fabrication is to use the optimised and commercially tested InGaAs-based SDLs with efficient intracavity down-conversion.

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