Optimisation of flared semiconductor lasers and MOPAs

Abstract

Semiconductor lasers which emit several watts into a single diffraction-limited lobe are extremely promising for a large range of applications such as free-space communication and pumping of fibre lasers and amplifiers. To date the most successful of these have been flared oscillators [1] and master oscillator-power amplifier (MOPA) [2] devices. Both classes of device are limited by filamentation, transverse beam instabilities and. in the case of the MOPA. reflection induced noise.