High-peak power from optically-pumped mid-IR semiconductor lasers

We describe high peak-power, broad area mid-infrared semiconductor lasers. The laser structures incorporated 14 type-II quantum wells imbedded in thick waveguide/absorber regions composed of InGaAsSb. The Fabry-Perot lasers were optically pumped with the output from a passively-Q-switched Ho:YAG laser capable of delivering 100 kW at 2.09 um. The emission from the optically pumped semiconductor laser (OPSL) was near 4.1 um. The emission was spectrally and temporally resolved and showed evidence for the creation of a hot-carrier population at the higher pump powers. A roll-over in the OPSL output power curve was observed at pump-powers greater than ~20 kW. The maximum single-ended OPSL power was near 470W.