27 Jan 2009
An expansion into 879 to 888 nm opens up uses in marking and materials processing.
A new laser diode based on a single emitter architecture could herald a new class of air-cooled laser systems, able to penetrate into new markets and applications.
The Pearl family of fibre-coupled solid-state lasers from nLIGHT has been expanded into the 88x nm region of the spectrum, a range said to be significant for next-generation laser systems.
"The platform employs single emitters, combined using a patented architecture to produce some of the highest coupling efficiencies in the industry," Sabine Doms of nLIGHT told optics.org. "In addition, the single emitter architecture provides inherent redundancy, allowing for longer lifetimes."
Boosting the electrical-optical efficiency of the diode could lead to a new class of laser system, according to the company. Utilizing Pearl with upper-state pumping of Nd:YAG or Nd:YVO4 may be a route to manufacturing air-cooled diode-pumped solid-state laser systems.
"The Pearl platform itself is adaptable to almost any wavelength," said Doms. "For the 8xx nm offerings we developed a new chip, which went through extensive life testing before being incorporated into the Pearl product line."
Applications in materials processing and related sectors are the initial targets of the new diode, which is claimed to provide power levels of up to 100 W. "88x nm Pearls are ideally suited for a wide variety of DPSS applications, particularly marking systems and material processing," commented Doms. "They also allow another wavelength option for direct diode applications."
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