Diode Lasers
Definition: semiconductor laser devices based on laser diodes
More general term: semiconductor lasers
More specific terms: high brightness laser diodes, diode bars, diode stacks, vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers, external-cavity diode lasers, fiber-coupled diode lasers, mode-locked diode lasers, direct diode lasers
German: Diodenlaser
Categories: optoelectronics, lasers
How to cite the article; suggest additional literature
Author: Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta
Diode lasers are semiconductor laser devices based on laser diodes. Although the terms diode laser and laser diode are often used with the same meaning, it is appropriate to distinguish the terms: the diode laser is a laser device, which may sometimes consist only of a single laser diode, but may also contain additional items:
- The laser diode may be combined with an external optical resonator, so that the device is an external-cavity diode laser.
- A diode laser device may contain multiple laser diodes with some optics for beam combining (for example spectral beam combining).
- A diode laser may also include additional optics outside the laser resonator, such as a beam collimator or a beam shaper, means for coupling the light to an optical fiber (→ fiber-coupled diode lasers or pigtailed diode lasers), or means to provide optical feedback, e.g. in order to reduce the emission linewidth.
- In some cases, a device for nonlinear frequency conversion is also included.
- A diode laser may be provided with a housing, which may also contain means for temperature stabilization of the laser diode and a laser diode driver. See also the article on laser diode modules.
Applications of diode lasers are mentioned in the article on laser diodes.
Suppliers
The RP Photonics Buyer's Guide contains 73 suppliers for diode lasers. Among them:
TOPTICA Photonics
Diode lasers combine plug-and-play operation, compact form factor and maximum performance. TOPTICA offers single-mode diode lasers, multi-color lasers, single-frequency lasers, and tunable diode lasers for demanding applications in biophotonics, industrial metrology and quantum technology. TOPTICA provides the widest wavelength coverage of diode lasers on the market (190 – 3500 nm).
NKT Photonics
Our PILAS range of gain-switched pulsed diode lasers offers triggable pulses down to 20 ps in a small footprint for both scientific and OEM applications. Available with output wavelengths from 375 nm to 1.6 μm, the PILAS lasers are very versatile and comes with low timing jitter.
Edmund Optics
Edmund Optics offers a wide range of diode laser sources, including machine vision lasers, life science lasers, metrology lasers, industrial and point lasers, and material processing lasers.
Lumibird
Lumibird manufactures a wide range of laser diodes and laser diode modules. Our offering includes QCW diode stacks, CW laser diode modules, fiber coupled QCW diode stacks, short pulse laser diode illuminators, as well as high brightness diode source, IALDA, and pulsed power supply drivers for QCW diodes.
RPMC Lasers
RPMC Lasers offers one of the widest wavelength selections of diode lasers available ranging from the UV through the IR. These products include fiber-coupled and free space single mode diode lasers, multimode single emitters, multi-emitter fiber coupled modules, laser diode bars, laser diode stacks, and VCSELS.
IPG Photonics
IPG is the world’s largest manufacturer of high power diode lasers. Multiple megawatts of rated diode power roll out of our highly automated factories on a quarterly basis. Over a decade of intense innovation and investment results in diodes which are brighter, more reliable, efficient and compact than any competing diode solution.
IPG diodes are available in the 445–465 nm and 790–980 nm range of the near infrared spectrum, where the sweet spots of diode laser performance reside. Our scientists painstakingly perfected the diode design and manufacturing process to push individual device lifetime beyond 100,000 hours. When deployed in ensembles, IPG’s diode solutions exceed the most demanding industrial reliability requirements.
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See also: laser diodes, laser diode modules, semiconductor lasers, laser diode collimators, laser diode drivers
and other articles in the categories optoelectronics, lasers
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