Spatial Mode Filters for Control of Lateral Modes in High Power Semiconductor Lasers

The central thesis of this work is that structures can be integrated into the laser that introduce optical loss to only high-order lateral modes and thus prevent them from lasing and degrading the beam quality. Several concepts for modifying the lateral waveguide to create filtering of the lateral modes are examined, including the use of waveguide bend loss, waveguide frustration, and the addition of scattering loss. Each of the concepts tested improves the stability of the beam and prevents the oscillation of high order modes. Stable single lateral mode output power is demonstrated in lasers over the entire range of drive currents tested when frustrating waveguide filters or frustrating scattering waveguide filters are incorporated into the devices. This improves the single lateral mode power output from 500 mW to 800 mW.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Swint, Reuel Bennett

Contributors dc:contributor

• Coleman, James J.

• Engineering, Electronics and Electrical

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3070451

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/80804