Improved catastrophic optical damage level from laser with nonabsorbing mirrors

The authors demonstrate an improved catastrophic optical damage (COD) level from a ridge laser with nonabsorbing mirrors (NAMs) fabricated by quantum well intermixing. Under destructive testing conditions, the COD level of the NAM laser was improved by a factor of 2.6 compared to the standard laser, attributed to reduced absorption induced facet degradation. Verification of the degradation mechanism was confirmed by inspection and removal of damaged facets.