Gallium arsenide laser-array-on-silicon package

A monolithic array of AlGaAs lasers has been packaged together with an array of fiber lightguides on a substrate of silicon. The components have been optimized for maximum lightguide output radiance consistent with reliable cw laser operation. Coupling efficiencies up to 80% have been achieved between laser and lightguide. Output powers up to 70 mW cw have been observed from a 50-μm core diameter lightguide of 0.15 numerical aperture. Eight-device array multispot packages have been fabricated with 10 mW/spot, limited by laser quality and thermoelectric cooler capacity. Fabrication tolerances and device electrical and optical crosstalk are discussed. © 1978 Optical Society of America.