High power AlGaAs-GaAs visible diode lasers

A high-power room-temperature AlGaAs graded index separately confined heterostructure (GRINSCH) laser emitting in the visible spectral regime (/spl sime/715 nm) is reported for the first time. The device is gain-guided and consists of 12 stripes, each 5 μm in width with a centerline separation of 9 μm. This high-power visible laser has been successfully fabricated using a GaAlAs active layer. The epitaxial layer was grown with significantly lower levels of oxygen compared to those grown using standard metalorganic sources. Threshold currents of 310 mA at 10/spl deg/C were routinely measured on uncoated devices. The uncoated device had a catastrophic optical damage limit of 540 mW and has a slope efficiency as high as 0.48. No degradation in device performance was observed during a 50-hour 150-mW burn-in.