High Performance Diode Lasers Emitting at 780-820 nm

High power 780-820 nm diode lasers have been developed for pumping and material processing systems. This paper presents recent progress in the development of such devices for use in high performance industrial applications. A newly released laser design in this wavelength range demonstrates thermally limited >25W CW power without catastrophic optical mirror damage (COMD), with peak wallplug efficiency ~65%. Ongoing accelerated lifetesting projects a time to 5% failure of ~10 years at 5 and 8 W operating powers for 95 and 200 μm emitter widths, respectively. Preliminary results indicate the presence and competition of a random and wear-out failure mode. Fiber-coupled modules based on arrays of these devices support >100W reliable operation, with a high 56% peak efficiency (ex-fiber) and improved brightness/reliability.