Tapered Amplifier (TA) is a semiconductor optical amplifier, combining high power of broad-area lasers and good beam quality of single-mode ones.

These devices are commonly used for frequency conversion (e.g., second harmonic generation, SHG), pumping of Raman or solid-state lasers/amplifiers and other applications, which require high power and high brightness.

Tapered amplifier allows to achieve several watts of output light, keeping spectral characteristics of master oscillator (input source) and close to Gauss-shape beam profile, which can be effectively coupled (60-70%) into single-mode fiber or another waveguide (e.g., PPLN), using pair of cylindrical lenses for astigmatism compensation.

Beam quality typically characterised by M Squared (M2) or coupling efficiency into a single-mode waveguide. As M2 measurement technique is quite complicated, and customers are usually interested in the power within the single-mode waveguide, each device, fabricated at Innolume, is characterized by coupling efficiency into single-mode fiber, using standard optics.

Innolume tapered amplifiers are supplied on C-mounts or special submounts for simple incorporation in to the customer’s setup. On request TA can be bonded on customized heatsinks.