High-power disk lasers based on dilute nitride heterostructures

We report the development of InGaAsN-based gain mirrors for high-power optically pumped semiconductor disk lasers with direct emission at wavelengths around 1180 nm. The gain mirrors were fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy. They consist of 10 dilute nitride quantum wells, which were placed within a GaAs micro-cavity on top of a GaAs/AlAs distributed Bragg reflector. We demonstrated laser operation at ∼1180 nm with record high output power (∼7 W). The differential efficiency was ∼30% for operation at 5 °C and ∼28% when operating at 15 °C. The lasers exhibited excellent tuning characteristics, delivering an output power of more than 5 W in a narrow spectrum and providing over 30 nm tuning band. These features represent significant progress towards demonstration of practical high-power lasers with frequency-doubled yellow emission required for laser guide stars, life sciences and spectroscopy. At the same time the results emphasize the importance of dilute nitride heterostructures in the development of novel optoelectronic devices.