Broadband active mirror architecture for high power optically pumped semiconductor disk lasers

A method of forming a vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL), the method comprising:

• bonding a heat spreader to a top surface of a heat sink, where the heat spreader comprises a first material having a first refractive index;
• bonding an active region to a top surface of the heat spreader, wherein the active region comprises a second material having a second refractive index;
• and
• forming a high contrast grating on a top surface of the active region, wherein the high contrast grating comprises a third material having a third refractive index, wherein the second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index and a fourth refractive index, wherein the fourth refractive index represents a medium that a pump laser beam propagates through that is incident on the high contrast grating, and
• wherein a period, a fill factor, an etch depth, and an index of refraction of the high contrast grating are optimized such that a zero-order diffraction from the high contrast grating is minimized and higher diffraction orders transmitted to allow for total internal reflection at an interface of the heat spreader.

A vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) comprising:

• a heat spreader, wherein the heat spreader comprises a first material having a first refractive index and wherein the heat spreader is cooled via direct contact with a cooling medium;
• a semiconductor active region formed on a top surface of the heat spreader, wherein the semiconductor active region comprises a second material having a second refractive index;
• and
• a high contrast grating formed on a top surface of the semiconductor active region, wherein the high contrast grating comprises a third material having a third refractive index, wherein a period, a fill factor, an etch depth, and an index of refraction of the high contrast grating are optimized such that a zero-order diffraction from the high contrast grating is minimized and higher diffraction orders transmitted to allow for total internal reflection at an interface of the heat spreader,
• wherein the second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index and a fourth refractive index, wherein the fourth refractive index represents a medium that a pump laser beam propagates through that is incident on the high contrast grating.