Technical Insight
High-Power Diode Lasers - Fundamentals, Technology, Applications (Book Review)
As editor Roland Diehl notes, steady increases in the performance of high-power laser diodes has allowed these devices to compete in applications that are traditionally the stronghold of solid-state lasers. As more opportunities open in areas as diverse as cosmetic surgery and materials processing (e.g. laser marking, drilling and welding), a thorough treatment of the performance and reliability of semiconductor lasers is particularly timely. Over 10 chapters, Diehl s explores the leading edge of epitaxy, device design, heat removal and packaging, but also includes an introduction to the physics, design and high-power operation. Also covered are broad-area diode lasers, tapered emitters and tunable laser bars. A final chapter on new concepts deals with diode-pumped solid state lasers, laser active waveguides, double-clad fiber lasers and the thin disk laser. Roland Diehl (Ed.) 2001. Fraunhofer Institute, Freiburg. Springer ISBN 3-540-66693-1 (260 figures and 20 tables).
