New Generation Of Pulsed Laser Diodes Offers More Power For LiDAR

Laser Components Canada has succeeded in increasing the efficiency of pulsed laser diodes from 2.6 W/A to 3.2 W/A. This effect was achieved by a further development of the multi-junction technology, in which two V-grooves are embedded in the chip’s surface parallel to the resonator.

These so-called “trenches” prevent the formation of interfering lateral modes. The company uses this process for multi-junction PLDs with a wavelength of 905 nm.

In pulsed laser diodes, higher efficiency means more laser power at the same current input. This can increase the range of LiDAR systems, for example. If the method is applied to arrays, each individual element can be controlled separately, which opens up new possibilities for system developers.