Investigation of injection lasers at the Physics Institute of the Academy of Sciences (FIAN)

Contributions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR to the evolution of the injection laser technology over the time frame of 20 years are reviewed. Experimental studies of various aspects of degradation processes in AlGaAs/GaAs heterolasers are discussed, including the role of mechanical stress, irradiation effects, and failure statistics. At present, heterolasers are developed with the following characteristics: threshold current of 30 mW at room temperature and wavelength of 1.27 micron; CW radiation power of 5-10 mW; single-frequency lasing regime; size of luminous spot of 2-5 microns; and degradation-free operation for over 3000 h. Streamer lasers are also considered; radiation power of several hundred W and pulse duration of several ns are noted as characteristic for wavelengths of 330-690 nm. Finally, single-frequency and tunable laser technology is examined, including stripe-geometry lasers, external selective cavities, and pump-current heating of the active medium.