20W continuous wave reliable operation of 980nm broad-area single emitter diode lasers with an aperture of 96μm

High power broad area diode lasers provide the optical energy for all high performance solid state and fiber laser systems. The maximum achievable power density from such systems is limited at source by the performance of the diode lasers. A crucial metric is the reliable continuous wave optical output power from a single broad area laser diode, typically for stripe widths in the 90-100 mu m range, which is especially important for users relying on fibered multi-mode pumps. We present the results of a study investigating the reliable power limits of such 980nm sources. We find that 96 mu m stripe single emitters lasers at 20 degrees C operate under continuous wave power of 20W per emitter for over 4000 hours (to date) without failure, with 60 mu m stripe devices operating reliably at 10W per stripe. Maximum power testing under 10Hz, 200 mu s QCW drive conditions shows that 96 mu m stripes reach 30W and 60 mu m stripes 21W per emitter, significantly above the reliable operation point. Results are also presented on step-stress-studies, where the current is step-wise increased until failure is observed, in order to clarify the remaining reliability limits. Finally, we detail the barriers to increased peak power and discuss how these can be overcome.