We report on master-oscillator power amplification using a broad-area laser diode (BAL) emitting at a wavelength of l=780 nm. The master oscillator is an injection-locked single-mode diode laser delivering a seeding beam of 35 mW, which is amplified in double pass through the BAL up to 410 mW. After beam shaping and spatial filtering by a single-mode fibre we obtain a clean Gaussian beam with a maximum power of 160 mW. There is no detectable contribution of the BAL eigenmodes in the spectrum of the output light. This laser system is employed for operation of a 87Rb magneto-optical trap (MOT) and for near-resonant absorption imaging in a Bose-Einstein condensation experiment.

Appl. Phys. B

Shvarchuck, I., Dieckmann, K., Zielonkowski, M., & Walraven, J. T. M. (2000). Broad-area diode-laser system for a rubidium Bose-Einstein condensation experiment. Appl. Phys. B, 71, 475–480.