IPG Photonics has introduced a 100W fibre-coupled laser diode, which the company claims is the most powerful high-brightness single-emitter laser diode available. The diode delivers 100W power from a 105µm core diameter fibre with a numerical aperture lower than 0.12.
The diode makes use of IPG's long-life 90µm wide single-emitter chips and proprietary micro-optics. The wall-plug efficiency exceeds 50 per cent, which is possible due to nonsaturated mode of operation at a thermally-conductive passive cooling.
After release earlier in 2009 of the PLD-60 series with output power up to 60W in a 105µm core fibre, IPG now extends the power into the same fibre with the new PLD-100 series. The available choice of wavelength covers the whole of the 9xxnm spectral range.
Combining emission of these laser diodes, it is now possible to manufacture high power diode laser modules or complete system solutions with output powers up to multiple kWs out of a reasonably thin fibre with a narrow linewidth of emission. Such solution provides new opportunities for plastic and metal welding, brazing, cladding, medical and many other applications. It simplifies the pumping schematics of superpower fibre and disc lasers and opens opportunities for further achievements.