News

16 June 2009

 

Oclaro extends range of high-power laser diode bars

At this week’s LASER World of Photonics event in Munich, Germany, optical component, module and subsystem maker Oclaro Inc of San Jose, CA, USA is exhibiting its extended portfolio of high-power laser diode bars, including the 100W 808nm bar, the 200W bar with new 1030 and 1070nm capability, and a new series of 150W bar products at 9xx nm and 10xx nm. The new products are aimed at directed energy, diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser and multi-kilowatt direct-diode applications.

The new 200W bar – which is claimed to be the highest continuous wave (CW) power laser diode bar commercially available – has a wall-plug efficiency of 65% and is designed for single-sided cooling on a micro-channel cooler at a configuration allowing low pitch when stacking. Extending up to 1070nm adds two more colours to scale multi-kilowatt direct-diode systems by wavelength multiplexing, enabling direct laser system manufacturers to directly compete with fiber lasers and CO2 lasers in material processing applications, the firm says.

The 808nm 100W bar on micro-channel has a wall-plug efficiency of 60% and a 50% fill factor to enable higher power output from a larger emitter area. For conduction cooling, a 60W 30% fill-factor version (launched at Photonics West 2009 in January) is also available. Here, the extended wavelength range also includes 793nm, important to eye-safe applications based on thulium laser systems.

Oclaro’s 200W bars are targeted at high-end direct-diode system manufacturers, while the 150W bars offer an alternative for users who are not quite ready to handle drive currents in the 200A range, says senior product line manager Christian Naumer. “With our new 808nm products we are clearly targeting defence-related pumping and directed-energy applications as well as solar cell and flat-panel display processing applications,” he adds.

Like all Oclaro high-power laser products, the front facet of the bar is protected against catastrophic optical damage (COD) by the Oclaro E2 mirror passivation process. Telecom-grade AuSn (gold tin) hard solder makes the product suitable for demanding industrial and defence applications in CW and hard-pulse operation mode.

“LASER 2009 is going to be a very important event for Oclaro as we launch our new brand,” says Yves LeMaitre, executive VP & general manager of Oclaro’s Advanced Photonic Solutions division. Oclaro was formed only in late April through a merger that combined the optical component expertise of Bookham Inc of San Jose, CA with the module and subsystem expertise of Avanex Corp of Fremont, CA to create what is claimed to be one of the largest suppliers of optical components, modules and subsystems to the long-haul and metro optical telecoms markets. Also, in early June Oclaro signed a definitive agreement to acquire the high-power laser diode business of Newport Spectra Physics in exchange for laser and photonics components supplier Newport Corp of Irvine, CA acquiring Oclaro’s Advanced Photonics Solutions division's New Focus business (which makes photonics products including tunable lasers, optoelectronics, high-resolution actuators, stable opto-mechanics, vacuum and ultra-clean solutions, and OEM-engineered solutions).

Search: Oclaro Laser diode bars

Visit: www.oclaro.com