Employing a Laser Headlight Electrical System to Measure and Calculate Electro-Optic Conversion Efficiencies of Blue-Beam Laser Diodes

Abstract

In this study, a laser headlight electrical system was developed and implemented to measure and compare the electro-optic characteristics of the blue-beam laser diodes (BBLDs). To observe different temperatures (from negative to positive temperatures) that cause optical output power (OOP) and electrical power variations of the BBLDs, BBLDs were placed in an ambient temperature testing chamber, and the electro-optic characteristics of the BBLDs were measured to estimate the electro-optic conversion efficiencies. The different OOPs and electro-optic conversion efficiencies at different temperatures can be obtained when OOP adjustment was performed by average current and low-frequency pulse-duty cycle modulation technologies. Moreover, this study developed a human–machine interface using the LabVIEW software; therefore, the laser headlight electrical system can be controlled and monitored by a computer with the controller area network (CAN) bus communication. Finally, the prototype of the laser headlight electrical system was achieved, and three BBLDs were driven; furthermore, the white light of the headlight can be produced by mixing blue laser beams with a yellow fluorescence ceramic wafer.