Catastrophic Optical-damage in High-power, Broad-area Laser-diodes

Abstract

AbstractA detailed description of the phenomenon of catastrophic optical-damage (COD) in short (380μm cavity-length), 12μm aperture, proton-bombarded, double-heterostructure laser-diodes with uncoated facets was first presented in 1974. In these devices, COD generally initiates at the facets due to high optical-power density and propagate along transverse-mode filaments. To achieve reliable operation at high optical-power, broad-area laser-diodes have evolved to long (several-millimeter cavity-length), wide-aperture (50-200μm), dielectric-defined, broadened-waveguide, separate-confinement, double-heterostructure, quantum-well laser-diodes with coated, passivated facets. COD in these devices involve both transverse modes and ring-cavity modes.