Patent ID: 6130903
Filing Date: 2000-10-10
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A method for increasing the output power of a semiconductor laser amplifier comprising an input aperture, an output aperture and an intervening active gain region, comprising the following steps:(a) computing the semiconductor optical response of the laser amplifier;(b) selecting an output power for the amplifier;(c) selecting a flare geometry for the active gain region of the amplifier;(d) based on the computed semiconductor optical response and the selected output power and flare geometry, computing a corresponding density distribution of carriers in the active gain region of the amplifier;(e) modifying the flare geometry so as to reduce peak values in the density distribution of carriers; and(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) until a flare geometry is identified that produces a density distribution of unsaturated carriers that prevents filamentation throughout the active gain region at the selected output power.