Simulation of the slow-axis beam properties of broad-area lasers and its use in the development of high-brightness sources

Abstract

The objective of this work is to demonstrate that the slow-axis beam properties of broad-area diode lasers can be predicted by numerical modeling and that the results guide design decisions in the semiconductor laser development. We present a numerical study for 6 different semiconductor laser single emitter designs and compare the computed results to experimental values. The devices differ in width of the contact opening, cavity length, position and depth of an index trench, and facet reflectivity.