WIDE STRIP DIODE LASER EMPLOYING A LENS WIDE STRIP DIODE LASER EMPLOYING A LENS

摘要

An improved diode laser is attained by augmenting the conventional diode laser structure with a cylindrical lens that arrests the divergence of the beam in the spatial direction where it is rapidly diverging. To properly arrest the divergence of the beam and to thereby circularize it, the cylindrical lens is placed at a point in space where the size of the laser beam in the two orthogonal spatial directions is substantially the same. With proper selection of the lens' focal length, the nearly circular cross section of the light is maintained as it travels away from the diode laser. The diode laser is further improved by making the diode structure facet that is closest to the lens highly transmissive, and forming a partially reflective facet on the other side of the lens. This elongates the resonsance cavity.