48 W Continuous-Wave Output From a High- Efficiency Single Emitter Laser Diode at 915 nm

Improving the power and efficiency of 9xx-nm broad-area laser diodes has a great help in reducing the cost of laser systems and expanding applications. This letter presents an optimized epitaxial structure with high power and conversion efficiency. Laser diodes with 230
$\mu \text{m}$
emitter width and 5 mm cavity length deliver continuous-wave output power up to 48.5 W at 48 A, 30 °C, the highest power reported for 9xx-nm single emitter lasers so far. The slope efficiency is as high as 1.23 W/A due to a low internal optical loss of 0.31 cm−1 and a high internal efficiency of 96%. The maximum power conversion efficiency reaches 72.6% at 15.3 W and 67.3% at the operating power of 30 W under a heatsink temperature of 25 °C. Life test results show no failure in 1000 hours for 55 laser diodes.