High-power operation of low-confinement laser-diode structure

Low confinement laser diode structure permits lower modal gain, longer devices and wider stripes. The optimum value of the confinement factor is correlated with the modal attenuation coefficient. For an 1 cm-1 modal attenuation coefficient, the optimum operation is obtained in 12 micrometers stripe and 0.007 confinement factor. In such structures, fundamental lateral mode is preserved at power higher than 1 W.