Abstract: Apparatus include a first laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet along an optical axis, the beam as emitted having perpendicular fast and slow axes perpendicular to the optical axis, a first fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the first laser diode, a second laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet of the second laser diode along an optical axis parallel to the optical axis of the first laser diode and with a slow axis in a common plane with the slow axis of the first laser diode, and a second fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet of the second laser diode and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the second laser diode.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide apparatuses, systems, and methods related to a dual-sided optical package. The package may include a base plate with a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The base plate may have a coolant channel positioned between the first side and the second side. A first set of optics may be coupled with the first side of the base plate, and a second set of optics may be coupled with the second side of the base plate. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: The disclosed diode laser packages include a carrier having an optics-mounting surface to which first and second sets of collimating and turning optics are mounted. The carrier includes a heatsink receptacle medially located between the first and second sets. A cooling plenum has a diode-mounting surface and includes heatsink material disposed in the heatsink receptacle. The cooling plenum further has an inlet, an outlet, and a coolant passageway defined between the inlet and the outlet. The coolant passageway is sized to receive the heatsink material disposed in heatsink receptacle. Multiple semiconductor laser diode devices are each mounted atop the diode-mounting surface and positioned for bidirectional emission toward the first and second sets of collimating and turning optics. The multiple semiconductor laser diode devices are thermally coupled to the heatsink material through which coolant is deliverable by the coolant passageway.

Abstract: Some embodiments may include a semiconductor laser device comprising: an active layer to generate light; a front facet positioned at a first end of said active layer, with an AR coating or PR coating; a rear facet positioned on a second opposite end of said active layer thereby forming a resonator between said front facet and said rear facet; and a first order diffraction grating positioned within said resonator along only a portion of the length of said active layer, wherein the semiconductor laser device is arranged to emit light from both ends, and the diffraction grating has two non-contiguous segments each extending to one of the facets; or a single end, wherein the rear facet is a rear light reflecting facet with an HR-coating. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide apparatuses, systems, and methods related to a heat sink with one or more removable inserts. Respective inserts may include one or more fins that define one or more channels for flow of cooling fluid. The fins may be formed of a composite material that is different than a material of the heat sink body. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Abstract: Some embodiments may include a packaged laser diode assembly, comprising: a length of optical fiber having a core and a polymer buffer in direct contact with the core, the length of optical fiber having a first section and a second section, the first section of the length of optical fiber including a tip of an input end of the optical fiber, wherein the polymer buffer covers only the second section of the first and second sections; one or more laser diodes to generate laser light; means for directing a beam derived from the laser light into the input end of the length of optical fiber; a light stripper attached to the core in the first section of the length of optical fiber. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Abstract: Apparatus include a transmissive optical substrate configured to receive a plurality of laser beams propagating along respective parallel beam axes at respective initial beam displacements with respect to an optical axis of the transmissive optical substrate, and configured to produce laser output beams having reduced displacements, wherein the transmissive optical substrate includes first and second surfaces with respective first and second curvatures defined to increase an output beam magnification and to nonlinearly increase an output beam displacement from the optical axis for a linearly increasing input beam displacement from the optical axis.

Abstract: Apparatus include a plurality of laser diodes configured to emit respective laser diode beams having perpendicular fast and slow beam divergence axes mutually perpendicular to respective beam axes, and beam shaping optics configured to receive the laser diode beams and to circularize an ensemble image space and NA space of the laser diode beams at an ensemble coupling plane. In selected examples, beam shaping optics include variable fast axis telescopes configured to provide variable fast axis magnification and beam displacement.

Abstract: Some embodiments may include a laser diode having a strain-engineered cladding layer for optimized active region strain and improved laser diode performance. In one embodiment, the laser diode may include a semiconductor substrate having a material composition with a first lattice constant; and a plurality of epitaxy layers form on the semiconductor substrate, with plurality of epitaxy layers including a waveguide layer and cladding layers, wherein the waveguide layer includes an active region having a material composition associated with a target optical wavelength, wherein a second lattice constant of the material composition of the active region is different than the first lattice constant; wherein a material composition and/or thickness of an individual cladding layer of the cladding layers is/are arranged to impart a target stress field on the active region to optimize active region strain. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Abstract: A laser diode, comprising a transverse waveguide that is orthogonal to the lateral waveguide comprising an active layer between an n-type waveguide layer and a p-type waveguide layer, wherein the transverse waveguide is bounded by an n-type cladding layer on an n-side and p-type cladding layer on a p-side and a lateral waveguide bounded in a longitudinal direction at a first end by a high reflector (HR) coated facet and at a second end by a partial reflector (PR) coated facet, the lateral waveguide further comprising a buried higher order mode suppression layer (HOMSL) disposed beneath the p-cladding within the lateral waveguide or on one or both sides of the lateral waveguide or a combination thereof, wherein the HOMSL extends in a longitudinal direction from the HR facet a length less than the distance between the HR facet and the PR facet.

Abstract: Some embodiments may include a packaged laser diode assembly, comprising: a length of optical fiber having a core and a cladding layer, the length of optical fiber having a first section and a second section, the first section of the length of optical fiber including a tip of an input end of the optical fiber; one or more laser diodes to generate laser light; one or more optical components to direct a beam derived from the laser light into the input end of the length of optical fiber; a clad light stripper on the second section of the length of optical fiber; wherein, in the first section of the length of optical fiber, the cladding layer includes: a light scattering feature at the tip of the input end of the optical fiber and/or a void along a length of the optical fiber.

Abstract: In an example, a tandem pumped fiber amplifier may include a seed laser, a first section coupled to an output of the seed laser, and a second section coupled to an output of the first section. The first section may operate as an oscillator, and may receive pump light from one or more diode pumps, and may the first section may be arranged to convert the one or more diode pumps into a tandem pump. The second section may operate as a power amplifier, and may include a length of a single or plural active core fiber. The tandem pumped fiber amplifier may be arranged to mitigate spectral broadening related to four-wave mixing.

Abstract: In an example, a tandem pumped fiber amplifier may include a seed laser, one or more diode pumps, and a single or plural active core fiber. The single or plural active core fiber may include a first section to operate as an oscillator and a second different section to operate as a power amplifier. The one or more diode pumps may be optically coupled to the first section of the single or plural active core fiber, and the seed laser may be optically coupled to the single active core or an innermost core of the plural active core fiber.

Abstract: Large mode area optical fibers include cores that are selected to be smaller than a core size associated with a minimum mode field diameter of a lowest order mode. Cross-sectional shape of such cores can be circular or annular, and a plurality of such cores can be used. Gain regions can be provided in cores or claddings, and selected to produce a selected state of polarization.

Abstract: A laser diode package, comprising a housing having a metal base portion, an integrated heat spreader formed within the base, the integrated heat spreader comprising a first phase-change material (PCM) and configured to dissipate heat via phase-change cooling. A heat source may be disposed on a top surface of the base, the heat source may be thermally coupled to the integrated heat spreader so as to dissipate heat away from the heat source via phase-change cooling.

Abstract: A laser diode, comprising a transverse waveguide comprising an active layer between an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer wherein the transverse waveguide is bounded by a lower index n-cladding layer on an n-side of the transverse waveguide and a lower index p-cladding layer on a p-side of the transverse waveguide a cavity that is orthogonal to the transverse waveguide, wherein the cavity is bounded in a longitudinal direction at a first end by a high reflector (HR) facet and at a second end by a partial reflector (PR) facet, and a first contact layer electrically coupled to the waveguide and configured to vary an amount of current injected into the waveguide in the longitudinal direction so as to inject more current near the HR facet than at the PR facet.

Abstract: In an example, a tandem pumped fiber amplifier may include a seed laser, one or more diode pumps, and a single or plural active core fiber. The single or plural active core fiber may include a first section to operate as an oscillator and a second different section to operate as a power amplifier. The one or more diode pumps may be optically coupled to the first section of the single or plural active core fiber, and the seed laser may be optically coupled to the single active core or an innermost core of the plural active core fiber.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of bidirectionally emitting semiconductor (BEST) laser architectures including higher order mode suppression structures. The higher order mode suppression structures are centrally located and extend from an inner transition boundary, which may be established by confronting high reflector (HR) facets in some embodiments or a central plane defining two sides of a unitary, bidirectional optical cavity in other embodiments. Examples of the higher order mode suppression structures include narrow regions of bidirectional flared laser oscillator waveguide (FLOW) devices, which are also referred to as reduced mode diode (REM) devices; high-index regions of bidirectional higher-order mode suppressed laser (HOMSL) devices; and non- or less-etched gain-guided lateral waveguides of bidirectional low divergence semiconductor laser (LODSL) devices.

Abstract: A number of beams that can be coupled into an optical fiber can be increased using emitted beams having greater divergence, thus providing increased beam power. Alternatively, with a fixed number of emitters, total optical power can be maintained with fewer beams in an output beam with a smaller numerical aperture.

Abstract: Apparatus include a first laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet along an optical axis, the beam as emitted having perpendicular fast and slow axes perpendicular to the optical axis, a first fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the first laser diode, a second laser diode situated to emit a beam from an exit facet of the second laser diode along an optical axis parallel to the optical axis of the first laser diode and with a slow axis in a common plane with the slow axis of the first laser diode, and a second fast axis collimator (FAC) optically coupled to the beam as emitted from the exit facet of the second laser diode and configured to direct the beam along a redirected beam axis having a non-zero angle with respect to the optical axis of the second laser diode.