Transient thermal properties of high-power diode laser bars

The transient thermal properties of high-power diode laser bars with active and passive cooling are analyzed. Both thermal imaging and the analysis of the thermal wavelength tuning behavior are employed to extract the device temperature as a function of time. A steady-state thermal situation is established with rise times of about 10 and 60 ms for active and passive cooling, respectively. The latter number, however, is substantially increased by the particular properties of the external heat sink. Such results are confirmed by model calculations based on the finite element method. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.