785-nm dual wavelength DBR diode lasers and MOPA systems with output powers up to 750 mW

Raman lines are often superimposed by daylight, artificial light sources or fluorescence signals from the samples under study. Shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS), i.e. exciting the sample alternatingly with two slightly shifted wavelengths, allows to distinguish between the Raman lines and sources of interference. In this work, monolithic dual wavelength Y-branch DBR ridge waveguide diode lasers and their application in master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) systems at 785 nm suitable for Raman spectroscopy and SERDS will be presented. The definition of the wavelengths is made by implementing deeply-etched 10th order 500 μm long surface gratings with different periods using i-line wafer stepper lithography. Y-branch DBR lasers with a total length of 3 mm and a stripe width of 2.2 μm were manufactured and characterized. The monolithic devices reach output powers up to 215 mW with emission widths of about 20 pm. At 200 mW the conversion efficiency is 20%, i.e. the electrical power consumption is only 1 W. The spectral distance between the two laser cavities is about 0.6 nm, i.e. 10 cm-1 as targeted. The side mode suppression ratio is better than 50 dB. Amplifying these devices using a ridge waveguide amplifier an output power of about 750 mW could be achieved maintaining the spectral properties of the master oscillator.