Abstract

Several high performance compact lasers which are AlGaAs diode-pumped are described in this paper. The operating prf of each of them varies from several hundred hertz up to 3.5 kHz. The operation of each of these lasers at very high prf is made possible by very high average power, high duty factor up to cw semiconductor diode arrays that are microchannel cooled.^1,2 Each semiconductor diode array package consists of 1.8 cm of AlGaAs bar mounted on a cooler with total package thickness of <1 mm. These can be stacked to operate electrically in series and cooled in parallel. Individual packages operate at 65 W cw with 100 A of drive and operate at typically 100 W peak with 150 A of drive at duty cycles of 25% and beyond with no thermal rollover. We have fabricated 2-D arrays 2×8 cm² in area which, operated at 25% duty cycle, deliver 775 W of average power each.

© 1992 Optical Society of America