Power characteristics of planar index-antiguided waveguide lasers with transverse mode competition

Abstract

We report comprehensive analysis of output characteristics of homogeneously broadened index-antiguided slab lasers with transverse mode competition. Robust single fundamental mode operation is achieved when the distributive modal loss due to index antiguiding dominates the output coupling loss. Maximal laser efficiency under single fundamental mode operation is investigated numerically for various combinations of single-pass gains and losses. We show analytically that an asymptotic limit of such efficiency exists that is solely determined by the loss ratio between the fundamental and 1st higher-order modes, which equals 66.7% for planar index antiguided lasers.