Coherent Power Scaling in Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Laser Arrays

TL;DR

This paper explores 2D coherent arrays of photonic crystal surface emitting lasers (PCSELs) to enhance power scaling while maintaining single-mode quality, addressing size limitations and efficiency trade-offs.

Contribution

It demonstrates that 2D coherent arrays can increase power and efficiency of PCSELs by reducing in-plane losses, advancing scalable laser array design.

Findings

Increased differential efficiency in 2D PCSEL arrays

Reduction of in-plane losses with array scaling

Potential for higher power single-mode emission

Abstract

A key benefit of photonic crystal surface emitting lasers (PCSELs) is the abillity to increase output power through scaling the emission area while mainting high quality single mode emission, allowing them to close the brightness gap which exists between semiconductor lasers and gas and fibre lasers. However, there are practical limits to the size, and hence power, of an individual PCSEL device and there are trade-offs between single-mode stability and parasitic in-plane losses with increasing device size. In this paper we discuss 2D coherent arrays as an approach to area and coherent power scaling of PCSELs. We demonstrate in two and three element PCSEL arrays an increase in the differential efficiency of the system due to a reduction in in-plane loss.