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How does the drive of a laser diode affect its performance?

How does the drive of a laser diode affect its performance?

Laser diodes are current driven and current sensitive semiconductors. A change in drive current equals a change in the devices’ wavelength and output power. Any instability in the drive current (noise, drift, induced transients), will affect the laser diode’s performance characteristics.

What’s the average wavelength of a laser diode?

Laser diodes, which are capable of converting electrical current into light, are available from Thorlabs with center wavelengths in the 375 – 2000 nm range and output powers from 1.5 mW up to 3 W. We also offer Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) with center wavelengths ranging from 4.05 to 11.00 µm.

What kind of material is a laser diode made of?

There is a lot of detailed information about laser diodes online. But in short, a laser diode is a semiconductor device made of two different materials. One a P-material, the other an N-material, sandwiched together.

How are optically pumped semiconductor lasers different from ILDs?

Optically pumped semiconductor lasers (OPSL) use a III-V semiconductor chip as the gain medium, and another laser (often another diode laser) as the pump source. OPSL offer several advantages over ILDs, particularly in wavelength selection and lack of interference from internal electrode structures.

What is the wavelength of a dental diode laser?

The two most common wavelengths found in dental diode lasers are 810 nm and 980 nm. The 810 nm wavelength is absorbed in melanin at a higher rate than 980 nm, and the 980 nm wavelength is absorbed by water at a higher rate than 810 nm.

What makes the Gemini 810 + 980 diode laser so effective?

This is due to the laser’s unique 20 watts of super-pulsed power and long thermal relaxation periods. The Gemini 810 + 980 diode laser also offers increased clinical versatility by combining the two most common diode laser wavelengths (810 nm and 980 nm) to maximize both water and melanin absorption.

How is the epitaxial structure of a laser diode grown?

The laser diode epitaxial structure is grown using one of the crystal growth techniques, usually starting from an N doped substrate, and growing the I doped active layer, followed by the P doped cladding, and a contact layer. The active layer most often consists of quantum wells, which provide lower threshold current and higher efficiency.