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Laser Diode and LED Physics

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Laser Diode and LED Physics

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Semiconductor lasers, generally referred to as laser diodes, are one of the most important classes of lasers today. They are critical for optical communications and control applications and are finding widespread usage as pump sources for solid-state and fiber lasers. Laser diodes possess several unique attributes compared to other types of lasers. They are very small compared to other classes of lasers, can operate very efficiently with relatively low input powers, and are compatible with modern electronics. Many of these characteristics can be attributed to a gain medium that is electrically-pumped while also serving as the resonant cavity. Furthermore, laser diodes leverage mature semiconductor manufacturing processing for good quality control, large-scale production, and tailorability. Laser diodes are a sub-set of solid-state lasers. Therefore, many aspects of the light generation process and output characteristics discussed in the context of solid-state lasers remain valid. However, there are some fundamental differences for laser diodes in terms of the light-matter interactions and the optical emission properties. These differences are addressed in this section. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), like laser diodes, generate radiation via electrical current injection into a junction. LED light comes from spontaneous emission, whereas laser diode light arises from stimulated emission.

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