High‐power coherently coupled 8×8 vertical cavity surface emitting laser array

We demonstrate record high pulsed output power exceeding 530 mW from an electrically pumped phase‐coupled 8×8 vertical cavity surface emitting laser array (SELA) at room temperature. Three array types are compared: an 8×8 pixellated SELA(PSELA), an 8×8 grid contact SELA(CSELA), and a 78 μm×78 μm single broad area SEL(BSEL) emitter. The CSELA operating in a phase‐coupled supermode exhibits the lowest threshold current (100 mA) and voltage (1.6 V), highest damage threshold and a smooth L‐I characteristic with differential quantum efficiency ηd≳27%, the BSEL has the largest output power≳580 mW and a large ηd≳48%, the PSELA exhibited a large voltage with the largest ηd≳80%.