High power and repetition rate integral laser source (1060 nm) based on laser diode array and 2D multi-element opto-thyristor array as a high-speed current switch

Abstract: We present a study of electrical and optical characteristics of the new design of a thyristor–laser diode mini-bar vertical stack, utilizing a 2-dimensional multi-element thyristor array (2D META) as a current switch, targeted for generating short (tens of nanoseconds) high-power optical pulses. It is shown that reducing the size of the anode contact of single 2D META elements to 200 μm provides the conditions for uniform switch-on of all elements. It is shown that in the long pulse mode with a pulse width of 14.6 ns, the peak optical power reaches 85 W, which corresponds to the peak current of 119 A (19.8 A per array element). At the same time, the maximum repetition rate reaches 700 kHz in the long pulse mode for an operating voltage of 15 V. In the short pulse mode with a pulse width of 6.4 ns and a repetition rate of 1 MHz, the peak optical power reaches 47 W, which corresponds to the peak current generated in the vertical stack circuit of 60 A (10 A per array element). It is shown that the characteristics of the 2D META as a high current switch do not change with increasing repetition rate for both operating modes.

Keywords: semiconductor laser, semiconductor laser array, thyristor, nanosecond pulses.