μ-MOPA Architecture for Photonic Integrated Solid State Laser

Abstract

Diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) lasers play a central role in modern photonics owing to their exceptional efficiency and ability to extend spectral coverage beyond the reach of semiconductor diodes. These attributes have enabled breakthroughs in precision metrology, quantum optics, and coherent communications. However, bringing the proven advantages of DPSS gain media such as Nd:YAG onto an integrated photonic platform has remained difficult, largely due to inefficient pump utilization and limited power-scaling in chip-scale implementations. Here, we demonstrate the first photonic-integrated Nd:YAG laser-amplifier system that overcomes these challenges with a micro-chip based master-oscillator-power-amplifier (μ-MOPA) architecture. The seed laser, employing a double-resonant microring resonator, could reach a threshold as low as 2.9 μW. The single-pass waveguide amplifier, when optimized separately, provides up to 46.6 dB small-signal gain. Combining the low-threshold seed with cascaded waveguide amplifiers, the integrated μ-MOPA delivers more than 12 dBm of amplified continuous-wave output power. These results establish Nd:YAG waveguide integration as a practical route to compact and high-performance solid-state light sources.