Thermal model of the catastrophic degradation of high-power stripe-geometry GaAs/(AlGa)As double-heterostructure diode lasers

Journal Article · Thu Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Journal of Applied Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.345633· OSTI ID:7004867

Nakwaski, W ^[1]

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1. Institute of Physics, Technical University of Lodz, ul. Wolczanska 219, 93-005 Lodz, Poland (PL)

In the present work, the three-dimensional thermal analysis of the process of the catastrophic mirror damage in double-heterostructure stripe-geometry GaAs/(AlGa)As diode lasers has been carried out for the case of their high-power operation. In the analysis, the temperature dependencies of both the thermal conductivity and the thermal diffusivity have been taken into account. The analytical solution has been obtained with the aid of the Green's function method. The catastrophic mirror damage has been explained from the thermal point of view as a result of a local overheating of the active area close to or at the mirror surface. It has been proved that a determination of an exact value of the critical mirror temperature from the catastrophic degradation point of view is of minor importance because the considered temperature increase is of an avalanche type. The analytical solution obtained in the work has enabled us to show a dependence of a catastrophic-degradation time, i.e., a permissible length of current pulses from a point of view of the catastrophic mirror damage, on the amplitude of the pulses for the standard stripe diode lasers. Experimentally observed catastrophic mirror damage in diode lasers caused by an increase in their facet reflectivity has been also investigated. It has been confirmed that an increase in the reflectivity of an unprotected mirror may be accompanied by a very rapid facet failure. It has been also shown in which way one can avoid the above phenomenon.

• OSTI ID: 7004867
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics; (USA), Vol. 67:4; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
LASER MIRRORS
THERMAL DEGRADATION
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
DAMAGE
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GREEN FUNCTION
HEATING
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY
THERMODYNAMICS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
FUNCTIONS
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
LASERS
MIRRORS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SOLID STATE LASERS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
426002* - Engineering- Lasers & Masers- (1990-)