DESIGN OPTIMIZATION OF ARROW-TYPE DIODE-LASERS

Antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW)-type diode lasers have been optimized for high-power, single-spatial-mode operation. Calculated modal behavior predicts strong intermodal discrimination with low loss for the fundamental ARROW mode. Single-lobe far-field operation is obtained only when the high-index reflecting (antiresonant) cladding layers correspond to an optical thickness of lambda1 (m + 3/4) where lambda1 is the lateral (projected) wavelength of the leaky wave in the high-index layers, and m in an integer (m = 0, 1, ...). Experimental results include stable, single-spatial mode operation to 500 mW peak pulsed power and 300 mW CW power at an emission wavelength of 0.98 mum.