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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

MOPA Laser???

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I came across an ebay listing for a MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier) laser diode and was wondering how this works...
http://cgi.ebay.com/SDL-1-2-WATT-68...ryZ53141QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Searching sam's laser FAQ and wikipedia gave no real info... from what I've read it's using some sort of lower powered "seed" laser, which is shone through this "oscillating amplifier", bumping the power up to 500mW....

It also says he has high powered *BLUE* diodes using this technology as well...

Can anyone explain how this technology works?
 





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Honestly I have no idea how those things work, but clearly the PA has gotta have some sort of gain medium in a mirror cavity. Atoms in that gain medium are raised to higher energy states by the input energy. Then you shine an input/seed beam into it (the MO), and through stimulated emission its able to sap extra power from the medium in the same special ways as in the MO.

Now, what prevents you from just using the PA then to generate the laser in the first place? Well, TBH I'm even less clear on that. Without really knowing what I'm talking about, I'm guessing perhaps the spontaneous emission within the PA can't be controlled to be as narrow-band as in the MO's active medium. Probably it can't attain a population inversion on its own? And perhaps the PA is much larger to facilitate the extra power, but the small size of the MO is necessary to get good single-mode properties the PA wouldn't be able to on its own?

Basically... dunno, but cool (expensive) stuff!
 
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Sometimes diodes lasers gain achieve gain enough to be optically pumped but be incapable of being electrically pumped. Sounds like this is a gain medium, a laser cavity, that is begin optically pumped in some special way. But I have no idea really, just using experience that optical pumping can work in cases where electrical pumping won't lase.
 

Switch

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So basically this is a laser in the true sense.Not like ordinary diodes that lack the "amplification" part. :p
I don't know but I find it really cool to have 500mW of singlemode red.Might be worth building into a larger DIY like a Herc style ;D
 
L

likewhat

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This is a pretty common way of getting more power. you have some laser that you send through some number of amplifiers to increase the power. This is weird because it is all on one chip. Usually people take a single mode diode laser and send it through something called a tapered amplifier to increase its power. If the laser you are amplifying happens to be at some exact frequency that you need it at then this allows you to get a lot of power at that frequency. Unlike injection locking a laser this has an advantage in that the required input power into the amplifier has basically no threshold. A disadvantage is that the system is sensitive to optical feedback so a optical isolator is usually used to avoid killing the master laser.
 
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Anyone feel like asking this guy about his **BLUE** DIODES?

he says in the auction "See my other listings for Mopa's in the 445-460nm category."...

now wouldn't THAT be something? half a watt of 445! solid state! I'm just sure that they're way beyond my price range...
 
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pseudonomen137 said:
[quote author=pseudolobster link=1214097766/0#7 date=1214267568]Anyone feel like asking this guy about his **BLUE** DIODES?

he says in the auction "See my other listings for Mopa's in the 445-460nm category."...

now wouldn't THAT be something? half a watt of 445! solid state! I'm just sure that they're way beyond my price range...

Check out the bluetec lasers ;)

http://www.medialas.de/showlaser/bluelaser_e.htm[/quote]

yeah, but those are DPSS, right?

this guy claims to have 445nm *diodes*
 

diachi

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Its the same technique * i think * that the texas pettawatt laser uses to reach 1 Pettawatt.

Diachi
 




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