Tunable high-power narrow-spectrum external-cavity diode laser at 675 nm as a pump source for UV generation

High-power narrow-spectrum diode laser systems based on tapered gain media in external cavity are demonstrated at 675 nm. Two 2-mm-long amplifiers are used, one with a 500-µm-long ridge-waveguide section (device A), the other with a 750-µm-long ridge-waveguide section (device B). The laser system A based on device A is tunable from 663 to 684 nm with output power higher than 0.55 W in the tuning range, as high as 1.25 W output power is obtained at 675.34 nm. The emission spectral bandwidth is less than 0.05 nm throughout the tuning range, and the beam quality factor M2 is 2.07 at an output power of 1.0 W. The laser system B based on device B is tunable from 666 to 685 nm. As high as 1.05 W output power is obtained around 675.67 nm. The emission spectral bandwidth is less than 0.07 nm throughout the tuning range, and the beam quality factor M2 is 1.13 at an output power of 0.93 W. The laser system B is used as a pump source for the generation of 337.6 nm UV light by single-pass frequency doubling in a BIBO crystal. An output power of 109 µW UV light, corresponding to a conversion efficiency of 0.026%W-1 is attained.