Laser diode arrays with offset components
AssigneeOpto Power Corporation
InventorsDennis James Brown, Shantanu Gupta, David Pace Caffey
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Abstract
An array of laser diodes, or laser diode bars, is formed by positioning adjacent diodes or bars in an offset or staircase arrangement where the emitting facets of adjacent diodes, or bars, are in different planes. The offset arrangement permits the light from adjacent facets to be separated a distance q much shorter than permitted by prior art stacking arrangements because thermal and mechanical constraints characteristic of prior art stacks, are relaxed considerably in the offset arrangement. Power densities of 2000 watts/cm.sup.2 (cw) are achieved with spacings of 0.6 mm between adjacent laser bars, a ten fold increase in power density over in-plane (prior art) positioning of like components.
Claims12
Apparatus comprising an array of laser diodes, each having an emitting facet for emitting a beam of coherent light, each of said laser diodes being bonded to a heat sink, said heat sinks being connected into an integral stack structure where the center to center distance (p) between adjacent heat sinks is greater than the distance, (q) between adjacent ones of said beams.
Apparatus comprising an array of laser diodes, each of said laser diodes having an emitting facet, said apparatus including a heatsink structure with a staircase-shaped face having a plurality of stairs each with a tread and a visor for positioning said diodes such that each of said emitting facets is on a tread offset from the tread of an adjacent stair, adjacent ones of said emitting facets being positioned on adjacent ones of said treads such that the distance (9) between adjacent facets is smaller than the distance (p) between the center lines of adjacent ones of said stairs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.