Present technology, industrial applications and future prospects of high power diode lasers

Diode lasers are widely used in communication, computer and consumer electronics technology. These applications are based on systems, which provide power in the milliwatt range. However, in the mean time high power diode lasers have reached the kilowatt power range. This became possible by special cooling and mounting as well as beam combination and beam forming technologies. Such units are not only used as a new, efficient and highly reliable pumping source for solid-state lasers, but also as a direct source for materials processing. In this application high power diode lasers have entered the industrial manufacturing area. This article describes the diode laser technology and the applications. Ideas for future applications and for novel application concepts of high power diode lasers are intensively investigated in the five year German national research project "Modulare Diodenlaser Strahlwerkzeuge(**)) - MDS". Besides improvement of beam quality flexible laser beam geometry, which is matched to the application in a modular concept, is the target of the project.