Abstract
The University of Central Florida invention offers an amplifier array with the efficiency/high-power characteristics of edge-emitting devices and the large area/thermal management advantages of surface-emitting devices. Coherent array emitters have been considered a viable approach to scaling laser output power. There are two schools of thought in implementing this on a chip. One uses edge-emitting amplifiers/lasers, and the other uses surface-emitting devices. The UCF invention combines the best of both worlds.
Technical Details: Existing chip-scale CBC techniques suffer from low power, poor scalability, and/or high optical loss. As a solution to these issues, the UCF technology enables a laser light source using an array of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) on a substrate. Each of the two or more SOAs receive seed light from a common seed source, and the plurality of SOAs provide an array of SOA output beams associated with amplifying the seed light. The UCF light source invention also enables the use of a series of phase masks to coherently combine the array of SOA output beams into a single output beam.
Partnering Opportunity: The research team is seeking partners for licensing, research collaboration, or both.
Benefit
ScalableHigh powerLow optical lossMarket Application
High-power laser companies
Brochure
