Highly reliable high-power superluminescent diodes with three single-mode active channels

We report superluminescent diodes (SLDs) with three ridged active channels, each having a width of 3.5 μm, based on one 'bulk' and two quantum-well heterostructures. At a cw output power greater than 100 mW, the emission spectra of these SLDs possess a quasi-Gaussian shape with centre wavelengths near 840, 860 and 1060 nm and widths about 15, 25 and 40 nm, respectively. In the above operating conditions, the median service life of the SLDs amounted to approximately 50000, 25000 and more than 60000 h, respectively.