Abstract

Of primary importance in many applications is the amount of cw power that can be delivered reliably from a diode laser into a single mode (spatial and in frequency). One approach toward the achievement of high-power mode-stabilized diodes is the use of large-optical-cavity (LOG) structures,^1-6 that is, structures in which the optical mode acquires gain from a thin (0.05-0.2-μm) active layer, while a sizable part of the mode energy propagates in thick (0.5-1.5-μm) guide layer(s) adjacent to the active layer. We have reported previously on high-power leaky-cavity CDH-LOC lasers.⁵ Such devices provide single-mode cw operation up to 40 mW from one facet in beams of narrow transverse full width (θ± = 25-30°) and in large lasing spots (1.5 × 6 μm). Here we report on a new type of CDH device: positive-index CDH-LOC, and we present a comprehensive treatment of lasing mode confinement and selection in CDH-LOC structures.

© 1981 Optical Society of America