Laser Diode
Laser Diode
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A laser diode, or LD also known as injection laser diode or ILD, is an electrically pumped
semiconductor laser in which the active laser medium is formed by a p-n junction of a
semiconductor diode similar to that found in a light-emitting diode.
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The term laser stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Laser light is
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monochromatic, which means that it consists of a single color and not a mixture of colors. Laser
light is also called coherent light, a single wavelength, as compared to incoherent light, which
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consists of a wide band of wavelengths. The laser diode normally emits coherent light, whereas
the LED emits incoherent light. The symbols are the same as shown in Figure.
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Fig (a) : Laser Diode Symbol
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The basic construction of a laser diode is shown in Figure (b). A pn junction is formed by two
layers of doped gallium arsenide. The length of the pn junction bears a precise relationship with
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the wavelength of the light to be emitted. There is a highly reflective surface at one end of the
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pn junction and a partially reflective surface at the other end, forming a resonant cavity for the
photons. External leads provide the anode and cathode connections.
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The basic operation is as follows. The laser diode is forward-biased by an external voltage
source. As electrons move through the junction, recombination occurs just as in an ordinary
diode. As electrons fall into holes to recombine, photons are released. A released photon can
strike an atom, causing another photon to be released. As the forward current is increased,
more electrons enter the depletion region and cause more photons to be emitted. Eventually
some of the photons that are randomly drifting within the depletion region strike the reflected
surfaces perpendicularly. These reflected photons move along the depletion region, striking
atoms and releasing additional photons due to the avalanche effect.
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One of the important characteristics of a laser diode is that the threshold. It is given that, the
lasing action will not takes place until a minimum power is applied to the material. This is
illustrated in the following figure. This graphical representation compares the output power
versus the input current. Even though, the laser diode emit the light below the threshold energy,
the spontaneous emission is weaker than that of the emission of laser light above the threshold.
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Applications
Laser diodes and photodiodes are used in the pick-up system of compact disk (CD) players.
Audio information (sound) is digitally recorded in stereo on the surface of a compact disk in the
form of microscopic “pits” and “flats.” A lens arrangement focuses the laser beam from the
diode onto the CD surface. As the CD rotates, the lens and beam follow the track under control
of a servomotor. The laser light, which is altered by the pits and flats along the recorded track, is
reflected back from the track through a lens and optical system to infrared photodiodes. The
signal from the photodiodes is then used to reproduce the digitally recorded sound. Laser
diodes are also used in laser printers and fiber-optic systems.
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