New MEMS White Paper

Download the latest Logitech white paper and learn more about MEMS processing technology and techniques

News

25 June 2007

 

Alfalight launches 808nm wavelength-stabilized lasers for wide-temperature-range systems

At last week’s ‘LASER 2007 - World of Photonics Congress’ event in Munich, Germany, Alfalight Inc of Madison, WI, USA said it is sampling its new AMx-808BW line of 808nm single-emitter laser diodes in 2.5W chip-on-carrier and 2W fiber-coupled packages. Production volumes will ship in September.

Implementing Alfalight’s integrated Wavelength Stabilization Technology (WST), the devices provide higher pump absorption (87%) in Nd:YAG and Nd:YVO4 microlasers as well as a wide uncooled operating range for most solid-state laser configurations. They also offer peak power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 52%, a 30ºC wavelength locking range over their entire 0.2-2.5W output power, and a tight ±1.5nm center wavelength tolerance.

The WST devices require no external components; packaging and handling are identical to traditional pump diodes. The lasers are suited to military and commercial applications requiring uncooled wide-temperature-range operation, as well as emerging applications demanding a narrow, stable pump wavelength such as diode-pumped alkali lasers and thulium-doped fiber lasers.

“The stabilized performance of Alfalight’s new 808 nm WST single emitter pump diodes results from extending our AFRL [Air Force Research Laboratory] LADERA program to new wavelengths,” says VP of sales and marketing Ron Bechtold.

The WST devices integrate a holographically defined semiconductor grating at the wafer level. Unlike traditional broad-area lasers, which drift constantly at 0.35nm/°C over the entire operating temperature range, the AMx-808BW WST diodes provide a ‘stable lock window’ wherein the wavelength drift is controlled to 0.07nm/°C. The lock window is typically 30-40°C wide and spans the entire operating power range of the device (0.2-2.5W). Due to the optimized monolithic design, efficiency and reliability are on par with non-stabilized devices without the added cost or complexity of external-grating approaches, Alfalight claims.

See related items:

Alfalight wins $1.7m US Army contract to develop high-power fiber-laser pump modules

Alfalight expands sales and support network to UK and Israel

Visit: http://www.alfalight.com