Boston Chapter of the IEEE Photonics Society

Abstract:  High power, high brightness, fiber coupled direct-diode lasers offer superior efficiency, price, reliability, and performance for both military and industrial applications. Defense applications include pumping high performance kW-class fiber and solid state lasers for directed energy. Industrial applications include materials processing; specifically keyhole welding and 2-D laser cutting. TeraDiode, Inc. has developed ultra high brightness fiber coupled diode lasers using a novel beam combining and shaping technology. TeraDiode’s first prototype is a fiber coupled, direct-diode laser that delivers 1,040 W from a 200 µm core diameter, 0.18 numerical aperture (NA) output fiber (90% power content).  This laser, with a Beam Parameter Product (BPP) of 18 mm-mrad, has demonstrated substantially higher brightness than other previously demonstrated fiber coupled, direct diode laser.  The center wavelength of this laser is stabilized at 966 nm over the entire power range of the laser. This property is essential for fiber and solid state laser pumping applications. The laser has been used to demonstrate keyhole welding of stainless steel sheet metal and sheet metal cutting of mild and stainless steel, with thicknesses up to 6.6 mm. A second direct-diode laser prototype has demonstrated even higher brightness: 350 W from a 50 µm core diameter, 0.15 NA fiber at 970 nm. Extension of this direct-diode laser technology to higher performance will also be discussed. In addition, the direct diode technology is inherently wavelength selectable and can be applied to brightness scaling of diode lasers of any wavelength of interest for defense applications. More information about TeraDiode can be found at www.teradiode.com.

Biography:  Dr. Huang is a co-founder of TeraDiode and a Member of the Board of Directors.  He is responsible for business development for the government market and contributes to new innovations.  Prior to joining TeraDiode in October 2009, Dr. Huang was a Technical Staff Member at MIT Lincoln Laboratory.  He investigated and led Department of Defense programs on electro-optical materials and devices for high power semiconductor lasers, thermophotovoltaic devices, mid-IR diode lasers, quantum cascade lasers and VCSELs.  He is a Senior Member of IEEE and LEOS, and serves as a reviewer for many professional journals in electronics and photonics.  He has published over 45 papers and presented research at over 35 conferences.  Dr. Huang also has two patents pending.  He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and an S.B. in Physics with Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

Location:  MIT Lincoln Laboratory