Bi-frequency operation in a membrane external-cavity surface-emitting laser.

We report on the achievement of continuous wave bi-frequency operation in a membrane external-cavity surface-emitting laser (MECSEL), which is optically pumped with up to 4 W of 808 nm pump light. The presence of spatially specific loss of the intra-cavity high reflectivity mirror allows loss to be controlled on certain transverse cavity modes. The regions of spatially specific loss are defined through the removal of Bragg layers from the surface of the cavity high reflectivity mirror in the form of crosshair patterns with undamaged central regions, which are created using a laser ablation system incorporating a digital micromirror device (DMD).

Coherent waveguide laser arrays in semiconductor quantum well membranes.

Coherent laser arrays compatible with silicon photonics are demonstrated in a waveguide geometry in epitaxially grown semiconductor membrane quantum well lasers transferred on substrates of silicon carbide and oxidised silicon; we record lasing thresholds as low as 60 mW of pump power. We study the emission of single lasers and arrays of lasers in the sub-mm range. We are able to create waveguide laser arrays with modal widths of approximately 5 - 10 µm separated by 10 - 20 µm, using real and reciprocal space imaging we study their emission characteristics and find that they maintain their mutual coherence while operating on either single or multiple longitudinal modes per lasing cavity.

High power 739 nm VECSELs for future Yb ion cooling.

We present an operational characterization of a vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser emitting around 739 nm with over 150 mW in a single fundamental spatial mode. Results show that the laser is capable of oscillating on a single cavity axial mode at 740 nm for up to 22 mW. Tuning of the optical emission is shown to reach 737.

Supercontinuum generation in tantalum pentoxide waveguides for pump wavelengths in the 900 nm to 1500 nm spectral region.

We characterize the spectral broadening performance in silica clad and unclad Tantalum pentoxide (TaO) waveguides as a function of the input pulse central wavelength and polarization, sweeping over a wavelength range from 900 nm to 1500 nm, with an average incident power of 110 mW. The waveguides are 0.7 µm high and between 2.

Zinc-indiffused MgO:PPLN waveguides for blue/UV generation via VECSEL pumping.

We present the design and characterization of a zinc-indiffused periodically poled lithium-niobate ridge waveguide for second-harmonic generation of ∼390 light from 780 nm. We use a newly developed, broadband near-infrared vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) to investigate the potential for lower-footprint nonlinear optical pump sources as an alternative to larger commercial laser systems. We demonstrate a VECSEL with an output power of 500 mW, containing an intracavity birefringent filter for spectral narrowing and wavelength selection.