Study of the degradation of AlGaAs-based high-power laser bars: V defects

In this work we report the results of damage induced by aging tests of high power AlGaAs based laser bars. Post-laser aging the mirror and cavity degradations are studied by cathodoluminescence (CL). Following the analysis of the CL images the origin of the defects arising in the mirror surface and causing ulterior laser cavity degradation is discussed in terms of stress packaging and thermal stress induced processes. The latter is estimated by a finite element modelling of the thermomechanical properties of the laser heterostructure at the facet.