Next-Generation 1550 nm PLDs with enhanced power and efficiency

The paper presents a new generation of 1550 nm pulsed laser diodes (PLDs), engineered to deliver substantially higher peak power, improved slope efficiency, and reduced far-field divergence compared to existing devices. 

The lasers employ an optimized AlInGaAs GRIN-SCH heterostructure and advanced packaging architecture to enhance carrier confinement, minimize series resistance, and stabilize beam characteristics under high-current nanosecond pulses. Experimental evaluation of more than 50 devices demonstrates power improvements of 16–23% depending on stripe width, a typical optical divergence of 10° × 23°, and a series resistance of 0.146 Ω. Comparative measurements show that at 46 A, the new design exceeds a competitor’s device by 0.7 W, with a growing advantage of up to 4 W at 80 A. Reliability tests across 30 devices under 30–46 A drive conditions and 85°C thermal stress for over 1000 ours exhibit no failures, with output power remaining constant and an estimated MTTF exceeding 10,000 hours. 

These results confirm the suitability of the platform for automotive LiDAR, defense rangefinders, and high-performance sensing applications