Results and Discussions The developed single-mode 980 nm semiconductor laser yields a high kink-free output power of 1650 mW with a maximum rollover power of 2.4 W. No failure is observed during the test involving a maximum driving current of 4 A. An accelerated long-life test is performed using 21 units of 5 mm long semiconductor lasers under an injection current of 2 A and a junction temperature of 137 ℃. The life test is conducted for more than 2000 h without failure. For the 14 pin butterfly module, wavelength locking over a wide range is accomplished under various power levels and temperatures. The kink-free fiber output power of the module exceeds 1300 mW. In the operating power range from 10 to 1300 mW, the wavelength is stable and locked at 974.5 nm±0.5 nm, with a side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) exceeding 30 dB, a spectral bandwidth (full width at halt-maximum) of less than 0.5 nm, and a power-in-band (PIB) exceeding 95%. The module performance fulfills the EDFA application requirements for telecommunication systems and satisfies the Telcordia GR-468-CORE standard.

For erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) pumping sources, 980 nm single-mode semiconductor lasers and modules are widely used. These modules, which are driven by dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) in optical communication systems and yield more than 1 W of output power, are in high demand. However, achieving more than 1 W of output power is challenging owing to the restrictions caused by thermal rollover, catastrophic optical damage (COD), kinks in the light-current curve, reliable operation range, and wide-ranging stable wavelength locking requirements. This paper presents the development of high-power single-transverse-mode 980 nm semiconductor laser and modules. By adopting advanced chip designs, sophisticated device fabrication procedures, specific facet coating processes, and advanced module packaging, output power levels of 1650 and 1300 mW are achieved for the chip and module, respectively.

To fabricate the single-mode 980 nm semiconductor laser, an asymmetric epitaxial design was applied, and a material was grown via metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Ridge waveguides were formed during device fabrication. A wafer was cleaved into bars with high- and low-reflection coatings on its two facets. Singulated chips were mounted p-side up on AlN submounts bonded by an AuSn alloy. A fiber Bragg grating and an optimized fiber lens were integrated to manufacture a standard 14 pin butterfly module with superior performance.

A single-mode 980 nm diode chip and module are investigated comprehensively. Both the chip and module achieve superior characteristics with kink-free single-mode power levels of 1650 and 1300 mW, respectively. Accelerated life testing shows the reliable operation of the chip and module, which satisfy the requirements of telecommunication and other applications.