23 May 2011

Intense extends operating temperature performance of QC Mini Stacks

In IMM Photonics’ booth (number 400, Hall 1) at this week’s Laser World of Photonics in Munich, Germany (23–26 May), Intense Ltd of North Brunswick, NJ, USA, which makes monolithic laser array products, high-power single-emitter laser diodes, and electro-optical subsystems, is launching the next generation of its Hermes 650W Mini Stack.

The Mini Stack is an ultra-compact quasi-continuous-wave (QCW) stack offering maximum brightness at high operating temperatures. It incorporates new, high-power 808nm laser bars designed for extending performance across a broad range of operating temperatures. A high-brightness stack, it has an emission area of just 2.8mm x 2.8mm and generates an optical output in excess of 8kW/cm2 operating with ~300µs pulses.

The 650W Mini Stack is designed for handheld DPSS (diode-pumped solid-state) laser systems, which require a reduced footprint/weight ratio, and improved battery life and system performance under harsh conditions. The Mini Stack has been fully qualified to military standard MIL-STD-810F, including storage temperature cycle (–57˚C to 75˚C), mechanical shock (>20K shots at 1000G), and more than 250,000 shots of continuous operation. The design can be produced for standard wavelengths of 808nm and 940nm. Custom wavelengths, including multi-color options, are available on request.

“The Mini Stack offers more than 50% higher optical power density than common 2kW stacks that use standard bar technology,” claims chief commercial officer Kevin Laughlin. “The new bar designs offer improved performance over a wider range of operating temperatures,” he adds. “This, combined with a compact footprint and small emission area, makes the Mini Stack ideal for high-power end pumping of DPSS laser sources.”

The standard 650W Mini Stack supports operating temperatures from –40˚C to 70˚C. The new, high-temperature versions of Intense’s QCW bars and stacks now meet output specifications at operating temperatures as high as 130˚C. Power levels and emission areas can be custom designed for OEM requirements.

“The Mini Stack’s ultra-compact form factor and high optical power density offer a real opportunity to reduce size and cost,” says Laughlin. “They can dramatically improve system operating efficiency for solid-state laser manufacturers currently using flash lamps or standard diode bar pump technology,” he adds. “As a direct result of our latest development efforts, Intense is now in the position to provide these stacks in combination with a whole new generation of laser bars designed to operate under the most challenging environmental conditions.”

The entire Hermes product line will be on display at Laser World of Photonics, including QCW bars that provide up to 400W of output power, and QCW 1kW, 2kW, and 3KW stacks. All Hermes bars and stacked arrays incorporate Intense’s patented Quantum Well Intermixing (QWI) technology, which increases the brightness and reliability of the lasers while reducing instances of catastrophic optical damage (COD). These bars and stacks are assembled using AuSn hard solder and designed for a wide range of aerospace, defense and industrial applications.

The Hermes 650W Mini Stacks are available now in both standard and high-temperature versions. Pricing is based on quantities ordered.

Tags: Intense

Visit: www.intenseco.com