High peak optical power of 1ns pulse duration from laser diodes - low voltage thyristor vertical stack.

It is shown that the use of low-voltage GaAs/AlGaAs thyristors as high-speed and high-current switches in vertical stacks with semiconductor lasers ensures the efficient generation of high-power ns-duration laser pulses. The lasing and current dynamics in vertical stacks based on laser diode mini bar emitting at 1060 nm and a single as well as a double thyristor switch is studied. The possibility is demonstrated that a laser diode mini bar (with 3 laser emitters) together with a single thyristor switch can generate laser pulses with a peak power of 6 W with a duration of 950 ps and a peak current of 12 A for an operating voltage of 28 V.