Robert Deri | 17-ERD-069
Overview
Laser diodes are the preferred pump source for high-power laser systems due to their power and efficiency. However, laser power increases are limited because amplification can damage the diode system when exposed to back-irradiance from reflections or laser fluorescence. The absorption of too much light energy can destroy semiconductor material at the facets of the laser.
To develop a predictive capability for laser diode impairment and the damage caused by back-irradiance, we created a new framework and conducted a first set of validation experiments to characterize diode damage by back-irradiance from reflections for a range of device configurations and operating conditions. The work conducted provides evidence that induced catastrophic damage in diodes by previously observed back-irradiance is thermally driven. The research also enables estimation of diode lifetime through the new framework as long as specific back-irradiance and diode parameters are known.
Impact on Mission
The results of this work will be transitioned and applied to new diode-pumped laser systems at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the wider community. The enhanced ability to predict diode damage from back-irradiance will enable improved diode-pumped laser designs for a variety of defense, science, and industrial applications. This project supports Livermore's core competency in lasers and optical science and technology. The work also supports directed energy technology for national security applications by advancing laser capabilities fundamental to the NNSA mission.
Publications, Presentations, Etc.
Boisselle, M., et al. 2018. "Back-Irradiance Induced Impairments of Laser Diodes." SPIE Photonics West, San Francisco, CA, January 2018. LLNL-ABS-736797.
––– . 2018. "Reliable Operation of High Power Diode Pumps in Laser Systems with Back-Irradiance." SPIE Photonics West, San Francisco, CA, January 2018. LLNL-PRES-744574.
Jha, A., et al. 2018. "Thermoreflectance Imaging of High Power Diode Lasers Under Back-Irradiance Conditions." IEEE International Semiconductor Laser Conference (ISLC), Santa Fe, NM, September 2018. LLNL-PRES-758114.
––– . 2019. "Thermoreflectance Imaging of Back-Irradiance Heating in High Power Diode Lasers at Several Operating Wavelengths." IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics , 25(6): 1500713. doi: 10.1109/JSTQE.2019.2908556. LLNL-JRNL-766985.
Leisher, P., et al. 2017. "Root Cause Investigation of Back-Irradiance-Induced Failure of High Power Diode Lasers." Proceedings of 2017 IEEE High Power Diode Lasers and Systems (HPD) Conference , Coventry, UK, October 2017. LLNL-PROC-739350.
––– . 2018. "Effects of Back-Irradiance on the Reliability of Gas High Power Diode Pump Lasers." LLNL-ABS-746038.
––– . 2018. "Effects of Back-Irradiance on the Reliability of Gas High Power Diode Pump Lasers." Advanced Lasers and Photon Sources (ALPS/OPIC), Yokohama, Japan, April 2018. LLNL-PRES-750140.
––– . 2018. "CCD-based Thermoreflectance Imaging of High Power Diode Lasers with Back-irradiance." Laser Technology for Defense and Security XIV 10637. doi: 10.1117/12.2302434. LLNL-PROC-747523.
––– . 2018. "Opportunities in Semiconductor Laser Technology for Meeting the Requirements of Future High Energy Laser Missions." 938387. LLNL-ABS-752297.
––– . 2018. "Opportunities in Semiconductor Laser Technology for Meeting the Requirements of Future High Energy Laser Missions." IEEE International Semiconductor Laser Conference (ISLC), Santa Fe, NM, September 2018. LLNL-PRES-758113.
––– . 2018. "Feedback-Induced Failure of High-Power Diode Lasers." IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics , 54(6): 2001213. doi: 10.1109/JQE.2018.2873073. LLNL-JRNL-753607.
Li, C., et al. 2018. "Thermal Imaging of High Power Diode Lasers Subject to Back-Irradiance." Applied Physics Letters , 112(10). 101101. doi: 10.1063/1.5021658. LLNL-JRNL-741541.
––– . 2018. "CCD-Based Thermoreflectance Imaging of High Power Diode Lasers with Back-Irradiance." 2018 SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing. LLNL-PROC-747523.
