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Pulsing a Laser Diode

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Pulsing a Laser Diode

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  • Author: Doug Hodgson, Kent Noonan, Bill Olsen, Thad Orosz
Relatively high peak powers and effi cient operation have made pulsed laser diodes ideal for applications such as solid-state laser pumping and range fi nding. These higher peak powers are made possible by the fact that pulsed laser diodes are usually operated at relatively low duty cycle, and therefore low average power. As a result, they do not generate signifi cant heat. CW laser diodes, on the other hand, are designed to handle more heat than pulsed laser diodes. This follows from the fact that during continuouswave operation, thermal resistance of the device causes the junction temperature to rise substantially. As such, CW laser diodes typically must be well mounted in a heat sink package and/or cooled thermo-electrically.

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