Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Analytical Instrumentation, Methods & Materials
Analytical Instrumentation Methods Materials
High Coherent Power, Two-Dimensional Surface-Emitting Semiconductor Diode Array Laser
WARF: P05334US

Inventors: Dan Botez

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in developing a semiconductor laser that provides seven times the power previously seen from surface-emitting semiconductor lasers.
Overview
A UW-Madison researcher previously described a high-power, single-mode, two-dimensional, semiconductor diode laser formed on a substrate with an anti-guided array of laterally spaced grating surface emitters (see WARF reference number P02180US). However, scaling that device to include longer arrays reduces device efficiency and output power due to a destructive interference effect inherent in devices with long gratings of constant periodicity.
The Invention
The UW-Madison researcher has now developed a semiconductor laser that uses a variable periodicity, or chirped, grating. The grating works with the previous device to prevent the laser emissions from canceling each other out. The grating structure ensures single longitudinal-mode operation and can also be formed to act as a highly efficient selector of the in-phase array mode.
Applications
  • Non-invasive medical diagnostics
  • Biotechnology
  • Laser projection systems
  • Optical communications
Key Benefits
  • Provides seven times the power previously seen from surface-emitting semiconductor lasers
  • Enables CW watt-range, stable, single-mode laser light sources
  • Single frequency makes it ideally suited for power scalability via frequency multiplexing in external beam–combining configurations
  • Simplified packaging as compared to edge-emitting devices
  • Capable of providing tens of watts of power for applications such as high-efficiency, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with noble gases
Additional Information
For More Information About the Inventors
For current licensing status, please contact Michael Carey at [javascript protected email address] or 608-960-9867

WARF