On Efficiency of Power Diode Lasers Using Diamond Heat Sinks

We have developed a process for producing high-adhesion metallic coatings which enables the fabrication of laser diode (LDs) structures with improved performance parameters on highly effective natural and synthetic diamond heat sinks (DHS). The mounting of CW laser diodes on DHS by a non-optimized process increases their power output by up to a factor of 2, considerably extends the linear (working) field of their power current characteristic and increases their slope efficiency by a factor of 1.5 - 2 relative to that of LDs on copper heat sinks. Optimization of the mounting process increases the slope efficiency only in the case of copper bases. The use of diamond heat sink bases extends the drive current range of pulsed diode bars by a factor of 2 - 3 and enables them to operate at more than one order of magnitude longer pump pulse durations (up to milliseconds) when the pulse repetition rate exceeds 10 Hz.