Semiconductor laser and fiber laser’s differences

Meaning:

Semiconductor laser, also known as laser diode, is a semiconductor material as the working material of the laser.It is generally composed of laser working material, excitation source, concentrator, resonator mirror and power supply.The solid working substance used in this kind of laser is made of mixing metal ions which can produce stimulated emission into crystals.

Fiber laser is refers to the element with rare earth doped glass fiber as gain medium laser, fiber laser can be developed on the basis of the optical fiber amplifier: within the optical fiber under the action of the pump are high power density, causing the laser work material laser level "population inversion", as appropriate to join the positive feedback loop (a cavity) can form a laser oscillation output.

medium materials:

The most fundamental difference between a fiber laser and a semiconductor laser is the medium of the laser.

The gain medium used in semiconductor laser is semiconductor material, generally gallium arsenide, indium gallium and so on.Similarly, the gain medium of solid state lasers is usually crystal or glass, ceramic, etc.Gases are helium, neon, carbon dioxide, etc.)The luminescence mechanism of semiconductor laser is the particle in the conduction band and valence band transition between the photon, because it is a semiconductor, so the use of electric excitation can be, is a direct electro-optical conversion.

The gain medium used in fiber laser is optical fiber, and optical fiber can not directly achieve electro-optical conversion, the gain medium needs to be pumped with light (generally pumped by laser diode), which realizes optical optical conversion.

Features

Semiconductor lasers are easy to integrate with other semiconductor devices.It has the following characteristics:

1. can be direct electric modulation

2. easy to realize optoelectronic integration with various optoelectronic devices

3. small size, light weight

4. Low driving power and current

5. high efficiency, long working life

6. Compatible with semiconductor manufacturing technology;Mass production

7. semiconductor laser temperature is very large, when the power is large, the need for water cooling.

The main characteristics of fiber lasers are:

1. The device is small and flexible.

2. fiber laser heat dissipation is good, general air cooling can be.

3. laser output lines, good monochrome, wide tuning range.The performance is independent of the polarization direction and the coupling loss between the device and the optical fiber is small.

4. high conversion efficiency, low laser threshold.The geometry of the fiber has a very low volume and surface area, coupled with sufficient laser and pump coupling in the single mode state.

 Application

Semiconductor lasers are widely used in laser ranging, laser radar, laser communication, laser simulation weapons, laser warning, laser guidance and tracking, ignition and detonation, automatic control, detection instruments and other aspects.

Fiber laser application range is very wide, including fiber optic communications, laser space distance communication, industry, shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, laser engraving, laser marking laser cutting, printing, metal, nonmetal drilling in rollers/cutting/welding, brazing welding, water quenching, cladding, and depth), military defense security, medical equipment, large infrastructure,As a pump source for other lasers and so on.