Surface recombination and facet heating in high-power diode lasers

M. Ziegler¹, V. Talalaev¹, J.W. Tomm¹, T. Elsaesser¹, P. Ressel², B. Sumpf², and G. Erbert²

¹ Max-Born-Institut, Max-Born-Str. 2 A, 12489 Berlin, Germany
² Ferdinand-Braun-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik, Gustav-Kirchhoff-Straße 4, D-12489 Berlin, Germany

Published in:
Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 92, no. 203506 (2008).
© Copyright 2008 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics.

Abstract:
Surface recombination velocities and surface temperatures at front facets of standard broad-area lasers emitting at 808 nm were investigated by time-resolved two-color photoluminescence and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Surface recombination velocities in the range between lt;10⁵ and 10⁶ cm/s are determined for devices with tailored surface properties. The results clearly show that increased surface recombination velocities are accompanied by increased facet temperatures. Reabsorption of light generated in the diode lasers leads to an additional enhancement of facet heating for surfaces of minor structural quality. The methodological approach presented here paves the way for improved analytical access to diode laser facet properties.

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