DIODE LASER FOR ACNE The diode laser is a non ablative laser that is designed specifically to target the

root ca se of acne! the sebaceo s gland" It provides a perfect balance of controlled cooling of the epider#is $ith precise heating of the pper der#is that #ini#i%es disco#fort" D ring the laser treat#ent! a laser penetrates the pper layers of the s&in only! sti# lating ne$ collagen deposition and targeting da#age $here it is #ost prevalent" The diode lasers $avelength targets and heats $ater in the s&ins pper der#is! incl ding a #ild ther#al in' ry to collagen" Fro# this in' ry!the body(s nat ral healing process initiates the deposition of ne$ organi%ed collagen" As the ne$ collagen for#s! it helps s#oothen and fill in acne scars and red ce the n #ber of acne lesions visible on the s&in" It(s a non)invasive $ay to treat acne and red ce the appearance of acne scars" Non)invasive lasers do not c t or re#ove the s&in s rface* instead their action occ rs nderneath the o ter layers of the s&in" +eca se it does not re#ove any s&in fro# the s rface of yo r face d ring treat#ent! it is a gentle proced re that re, ires little or no do$nti#e" Laser diode treat#ent is not very painf l! b t to help yo to control and disco#fort or pain! analgesics are applied to the s&in before treat#ent starts" Side effects #ay incl de te#porary redness and s$elling of the treated areas" It can be perfor#ed on all s&in types and $or&s $ell at red cing acne and i#proving the loo& of acne scars" -hile yo #ay notice significant i#prove#ent after the first treat#ent! it s ally ta&es . or / treat#ents to see the f ll res lts" In a recent st dy sing the diode laser! every patient sa$ a significant red ction in acne lesions" After one treat#ent! lesion co nts decreased by .01" A 231 decrease $as seen after t$o treat#ents! and lesion co nts decreased by 3.1 $ith a third treat#ent"

What is Diode Laser ? A laser diode is electrically a 4)i)n diode" The active region of the laser diode is in the intrinsic 5I6 region! and the carriers! electrons and holes! are p #ped into it fro# the N and 4 regions respectively" -hile initial diode laser research $as cond cted on si#ple 4)N diodes! all #odern lasers se the do ble)heterostr ct re i#ple#entation! $here the carriers and the photons are confined in order to #a7i#i%e their chances for reco#bination and light generation" 8nli&e a reg lar diode sed in electronics! the goal for a laser diode is that all carriers reco#bine in the I region! and prod ce light" Th s! laser diodes are fabricated sing direct bandgap se#icond ctors" The laser diode epita7ial str ct re is gro$n sing one of the crystal gro$th techni, es! s ally starting fro# an N doped s bstrate! and gro$ing the I doped active layer! follo$ed by the 4 doped cladding! and a contact layer" The active layer #ost often consists of , ant # $ells! $hich provide lo$er threshold c rrent and higher efficiency" 9:;

Laser diodes for# a s bset of the larger classification of se#icond ctor p)n ' nction diodes" For$ard electrical bias across the laser diode ca ses the t$o species of charge carrier < holes and electrons < to be =in'ected= fro# opposite sides of the p)n ' nction into the depletion region" >oles are in'ected fro# the p)doped! and electrons fro# the n)doped! se#icond ctor" 5A depletion region! devoid of any charge carriers! for#s as a res lt of the difference in electrical potential bet$een n) and p)type se#icond ctors $herever they are in physical contact"6 D e to the se of charge in'ection in po$ering #ost diode lasers! this class of lasers is so#eti#es ter#ed =in'ection lasers!= or =in'ection laser diode= 5ILD6" As diode lasers are se#icond ctor devices! they #ay also be classified as se#icond ctor lasers" Either designation disting ishes diode lasers fro# solid)state lasers" Another #ethod of po$ering so#e diode lasers is the se of optical p #ping" Optically p #ped se#icond ctor lasers 5O4SL6 se a III)? se#icond ctor chip as the gain #edi #! and another laser 5often another diode laser6 as the p #p so rce" O4SL offer several advantages over ILDs! partic larly in $avelength selection and lac& of interference fro# internal electrode str ct res"9@;
9.;

-hen an electron and a hole are present in the sa#e region! they #ay reco#bine or =annihilate= $ith the res lt being spontaneo s e#ission A i"e"! the electron #ay re)occ py the energy state of the hole! e#itting a photon $ith energy e, al to the difference bet$een the electron and hole states involved" 5In a conventional se#icond ctor ' nction diode! the energy released fro# the reco#bination of electrons and holes is carried a$ay as phonons! i"e"! lattice vibrations! rather than as photons"6 Spontaneo s e#ission gives the laser diode belo$ lasing threshold si#ilar properties to an LED" Spontaneo s e#ission is necessary to initiate laser oscillation! b t it is one a#ong several so rces of inefficiency once the laser is oscillating" The difference bet$een the photon)e#itting se#icond ctor laser and conventional phonon) e#itting 5non)light)e#itting6 se#icond ctor ' nction diodes lies in the se of a different type of se#icond ctor! one $hose physical and ato#ic str ct re confers the possibility for photon e#ission" These photon)e#itting se#icond ctors are the so)called =direct bandgap= se#icond ctors" The properties of silicon and ger#ani #! $hich are single)ele#ent se#icond ctors! have bandgaps that do not align in the $ay needed to allo$ photon e#ission and are not considered =direct"= Other #aterials! the so)called co#po nd se#icond ctors! have virt ally identical crystalline str ct res as silicon or ger#ani # b t se alternating arrange#ents of t$o different ato#ic species in a chec&erboard)li&e pattern to brea& the sy##etry" The transition bet$een the #aterials in the alternating pattern creates the critical =direct bandgap= property" Balli # arsenide! indi # phosphide! galli # anti#onide! and galli # nitride are all e7a#ples of co#po nd se#icond ctor #aterials that can be sed to create ' nction diodes that e#it light" In the absence of sti# lated e#ission 5e"g"! lasing6 conditions! electrons and holes #ay coe7ist in pro7i#ity to one another! $itho t reco#bining! for a certain ti#e! ter#ed the = pper)state lifeti#e= or =reco#bination ti#e= 5abo t a nanosecond for typical diode laser #aterials6! before they reco#bine" Then a nearby photon $ith energy e, al to the reco#bination energy can ca se reco#bination by sti# lated e#ission" This generates another photon of the sa#e fre, ency! travelling in the sa#e direction! $ith the sa#e polari%ation and phase as the first photon" This

#eans that sti# lated e#ission ca ses gain in an optical $ave 5of the correct $avelength6 in the in'ection region! and the gain increases as the n #ber of electrons and holes in'ected across the ' nction increases" The spontaneo s and sti# lated e#ission processes are vastly #ore efficient in direct bandgap se#icond ctors than in indirect bandgap se#icond ctors* therefore silicon is not a co##on #aterial for laser diodes" As in other lasers! the gain region is s rro nded $ith an optical cavity to for# a laser" In the si#plest for# of laser diode! an optical $aveg ide is #ade on that crystal s rface! s ch that the light is confined to a relatively narro$ line" The t$o ends of the crystal are cleaved to for# perfectly s#ooth! parallel edges! for#ing a Fabry<4Crot resonator" 4hotons e#itted into a #ode of the $aveg ide $ill travel along the $aveg ide and be reflected several ti#es fro# each end face before they are e#itted" As a light $ave passes thro gh the cavity! it is a#plified by sti# lated e#ission! b t light is also lost d e to absorption and by inco#plete reflection fro# the end facets" Finally! if there is #ore a#plification than loss! the diode begins to =lase=" So#e i#portant properties of laser diodes are deter#ined by the geo#etry of the optical cavity" Benerally! in the vertical direction! the light is contained in a very thin layer! and the str ct re s pports only a single optical #ode in the direction perpendic lar to the layers" In the transverse direction! if the $aveg ide is $ide co#pared to the $avelength of light! then the $aveg ide can s pport # ltiple transverse optical #odes! and the laser is &no$n as =# lti)#ode=" These transversely # lti)#ode lasers are ade, ate in cases $here one needs a very large a#o nt of po$er! b t not a s#all diffraction)li#ited bea#* for e7a#ple in printing! activating che#icals! or p #ping other types of lasers" In applications $here a s#all foc sed bea# is needed! the $aveg ide # st be #ade narro$! on the order of the optical $avelength" This $ay! only a single transverse #ode is s pported and one ends p $ith a diffraction)li#ited bea#" S ch single spatial #ode devices are sed for optical storage! laser pointers! and fiber optics" Note that these lasers #ay still s pport # ltiple longit dinal #odes! and th s can lase at # ltiple $avelengths si# ltaneo sly" The $avelength e#itted is a f nction of the band)gap of the se#icond ctor and the #odes of the optical cavity" In general! the #a7i# # gain $ill occ r for photons $ith energy slightly above the band)gap energy! and the #odes nearest the gain pea& $ill lase #ost strongly" If the diode is driven strongly eno gh! additional side modes #ay also lase" So#e laser diodes! s ch as #ost visible lasers! operate at a single $avelength! b t that $avelength is nstable and changes d e to fl ct ations in c rrent or te#perat re" D e to diffraction! the bea# diverges 5e7pands6 rapidly after leaving the chip! typically at .D degrees vertically by :D degrees laterally" A lens # st be sed in order to for# a colli#ated bea# li&e that prod ced by a laser pointer" If a circ lar bea# is re, ired! cylindrical lenses and other optics are sed" For single spatial #ode lasers! sing sy##etrical lenses! the colli#ated bea# ends p being elliptical in shape! d e to the difference in the vertical and lateral divergences" This is easily observable $ith a red laser pointer"

Type of Diode Laser The si#ple laser diode str ct re! described above! is e7tre#ely inefficient" S ch devices re, ire so # ch po$er that they can only achieve p lsed operation $itho t da#age" Altho gh historically i#portant and easy to e7plain! s ch devices are not practical"

Double heterostructure lasers

Diagra# of front vie$ of a do ble heterostr ct re laser diode* not to scale In these devices! a layer of lo$ bandgap #aterial is sand$iched bet$een t$o high bandgap layers" One co##only) sed pair of #aterials is galli # arsenide 5BaAs6 $ith al #ini # galli # arsenide 5Al7Ba5:)76As6" Each of the ' nctions bet$een different bandgap #aterials is called a heterostructure! hence the na#e =do ble heterostr ct re laser= or DH laser" The &ind of laser diode described in the first part of the article #ay be referred to as a homojunction laser! for contrast $ith these #ore pop lar devices" The advantage of a D> laser is that the region $here free electrons and holes e7ist si# ltaneo slyAthe active regionAis confined to the thin #iddle layer" This #eans that #any #ore of the electron)hole pairs can contrib te to a#plificationAnot so #any are left o t in the poorly a#plifying periphery" In addition! light is reflected fro# the hetero' nction* hence! the light is confined to the region $here the a#plification ta&es place"

Quantum well lasers

Diagra# of front vie$ of a si#ple , ant # $ell laser diode* not to scale If the #iddle layer is #ade thin eno gh! it acts as a , ant # $ell" This #eans that the vertical variation of the electronEs $avef nction! and th s a co#ponent of its energy! is , anti%ed" The efficiency of a , ant # $ell laser is greater than that of a b l& laser beca se the density of states f nction of electrons in the , ant # $ell syste# has an abr pt edge that concentrates electrons in energy states that contrib te to laser action" Lasers containing #ore than one , ant # $ell layer are &no$n as multiple quantum well lasers" F ltiple , ant # $ells i#prove the overlap of the gain region $ith the optical $aveg ide #ode" F rther i#prove#ents in the laser efficiency have also been de#onstrated by red cing the , ant # $ell layer to a , ant # $ire or to a =sea= of , ant # dots"

Quantum cascade lasers

Fain articleG H ant # cascade laser In a , ant # cascade laser! the difference bet$een , ant # $ell energy levels is sed for the laser transition instead of the bandgap" This enables laser action at relatively long $avelengths! $hich can be t ned si#ply by altering the thic&ness of the layer" They are hetero' nction lasers"

Separate confinement heterostructure lasers

Diagra# of front vie$ of a separate confine#ent heterostr ct re , ant # $ell laser diode* not to scale

The proble# $ith the si#ple , ant # $ell diode described above is that the thin layer is si#ply too s#all to effectively confine the light" To co#pensate! another t$o layers are added on! o tside the first three" These layers have a lo$er refractive inde7 than the centre layers! and hence confine the light effectively" S ch a design is called a separate confine#ent heterostr ct re 5SC>6 laser diode" Al#ost all co##ercial laser diodes since the :IIDs have been SC> , ant # $ell diodes"

Distributed feedback lasers

Fain articleG Distrib ted feedbac& laser Distrib ted feedbac& lasers 5DF+6 are the #ost co##on trans#itter type in D-DF)syste#s" To stabili%e the lasing $avelength! a diffraction grating is etched close to the p)n ' nction of the diode" This grating acts li&e an optical filter! ca sing a single $avelength to be fed bac& to the gain region and lase" Since the grating provides the feedbac& that is re, ired for lasing! reflection fro# the facets is not re, ired" Th s! at least one facet of a DF+ is anti)reflection coated" The DF+ laser has a stable $avelength that is set d ring #an fact ring by the pitch of the grating! and can only be t ned slightly $ith te#perat re" DF+ lasers are $idely sed in optical co## nication applications $here a precise and stable $avelength is critical" The threshold c rrent of this DF+ laser! based on its static characteristic! is aro nd :: #A" The appropriate bias c rrent in a linear regi#e co ld be ta&en in the #iddle of the static characteristic 52D #A6"

VCSELs
Fain articleG ?ertical)cavity s rface)e#itting laser

Diagra# of a si#ple ?CSEL str ct re* not to scale ?ertical)cavity s rface)e#itting lasers 5?CSELs6 have the optical cavity a7is along the direction of c rrent flo$ rather than perpendic lar to the c rrent flo$ as in conventional laser diodes" The active region length is very short co#pared $ith the lateral di#ensions so that the radiation e#erges fro# the s rface of the cavity rather than fro# its edge as sho$n in the fig re" The

reflectors at the ends of the cavity are dielectric #irrors #ade fro# alternating high and lo$ refractive inde7 , arter)$ave thic& # ltilayer" S ch dielectric #irrors provide a high degree of $avelength)selective reflectance at the re, ired free s rface $avelength J if the thic&nesses of alternating layers d: and d@ $ith refractive indices n: and n@ are s ch that n:d: K n@d@ L JM@ $hich then leads to the constr ctive interference of all partially reflected $aves at the interfaces" + t there is a disadvantageG beca se of the high #irror reflectivities! ?CSELs have lo$er o tp t po$ers $hen co#pared to edge)e#itting lasers" There are several advantages to prod cing ?CSELs $hen co#pared $ith the prod ction process of edge)e#itting lasers" Edge)e#itters cannot be tested ntil the end of the prod ction process" If the edge)e#itter does not $or&! $hether d e to bad contacts or poor #aterial gro$th , ality! the prod ction ti#e and the processing #aterials have been $asted" Additionally! beca se ?CSELs e#it the bea# perpendic lar to the active region of the laser as opposed to parallel as $ith an edge e#itter! tens of tho sands of ?CSELs can be processed si# ltaneo sly on a three inch Balli # Arsenide $afer" F rther#ore! even tho gh the ?CSEL prod ction process is #ore labor) and #aterial)intensive! the yield can be controlled to a #ore predictable o tco#e" >o$ever! they nor#ally sho$ a lo$er po$er o tp t level" Di unakan untuk Laser diodes are n #erically the #ost co##on laser type! $ith @DD/ sales of appro7i#ately 0.. #illion nits!90; as co#pared to :.:!DDD of other types of lasers"93; Laser diodes find $ide se in teleco## nication as easily #od lated and easily co pled light so rces for fiber optics co## nication" They are sed in vario s #eas ring instr #ents! s ch as rangefinders" Another co##on se is in barcode readers" ?isible lasers! typically red b t later also green! are co##on as laser pointers" +oth lo$ and high)po$er diodes are sed e7tensively in the printing ind stry both as light so rces for scanning 5inp t6 of i#ages and for very high) speed and high)resol tion printing plate 5o tp t6 #an fact ring" Infrared and red laser diodes are co##on in CD players! CD)ROFs and D?D technology" ?iolet lasers are sed in >D D?D and +l )ray technology" Diode lasers have also fo nd #any applications in laser absorption spectro#etry 5LAS6 for high)speed! lo$)cost assess#ent or #onitoring of the concentration of vario s species in gas phase" >igh)po$er laser diodes are sed in ind strial applications s ch as heat treating! cladding! sea# $elding and for p #ping other lasers! s ch as diode)p #ped solid) state lasers" 8ses of laser diodes can be categori%ed in vario s $ays" Fost applications co ld be served by larger solid)state lasers or optical para#etric oscillators! b t the lo$ cost of #ass)prod ced diode lasers #a&es the# essential for #ass)#ar&et applications" Diode lasers can be sed in a great #any fields* since light has #any different properties 5po$er! $avelength! spectral and bea# , ality! polari%ation! etc"6 it is sef l to classify applications by these basic properties" Fany applications of diode lasers pri#arily #a&e se of the =directed energy= property of an optical bea#" In this category! one #ight incl de the laser printers! barcode readers! i#age

scanning! ill #inators! designators! optical data recording! co#b stion ignition! laser s rgery! ind strial sorting! ind strial #achining! and directed energy $eaponry" So#e of these applications are $ell)established $hile others are e#erging" Laser #edicineG #edicine and especially dentistry have fo nd #any ne$ ses for diode lasers"9I; 9:D;9::; The shrin&ing si%e of the nits and their increasing ser friendliness #a&es the# very attractive to clinicians for #inor soft tiss e proced res" The 3DD n# < I3D n# nits have a high absorption rate for he#oglobin and th s #a&e the# ideal for soft tiss e applications! $here good he#ostasis is necessary" 8ses $hich #ay #a&e se of the coherence of diode)laser)generated light incl de interfero#etric distance #eas re#ent! holography! coherent co## nications! and coherent control of che#ical reactions" 8ses $hich #ay #a&e se of =narro$ spectral= properties of diode lasers incl de range)finding! teleco## nications! infra)red co nter#eas res! spectroscopic sensing! generation of radio) fre, ency or terahert% $aves! ato#ic cloc& state preparation! , ant # &ey cryptography! fre, ency do bling and conversion! $ater p rification 5in the 8?6! and photodyna#ic therapy 5$here a partic lar $avelength of light $o ld ca se a s bstance s ch as porphyrin to beco#e che#ically active as an anti)cancer agent only $here the tiss e is ill #inated by light6" 8ses $here the desired , ality of laser diodes is their ability to generate ltra)short p lses of light by the techni, e &no$n as =#ode)loc&ing= incl de cloc& distrib tion for high)perfor#ance integrated circ its! high)pea&)po$er so rces for laser)ind ced brea&do$n spectroscopy sensing! arbitrary $avefor# generation for radio)fre, ency $aves! photonic sa#pling for analog)to) digital conversion! and optical code)division)# ltiple)access syste#s for sec re co## nication" See Laser diode lamp Laser diodes are going to be sed for high bea# headlights in A di vehicles" The high bea#s $ill be lasers! tho gh the lo$ bea#s $ill be light)e#itting diodes" The car #a&er says that their high bea#s have a 2DD)#eter range! $hich is ro ghly t$ice the distance of LED high bea#s" Lasers are e7pensive tho gh" Lasers are s#aller! brighter and #ore energy efficient than LED headla#ps" Their laser headla#ps se less than half the energy of LEDs" Laser diode can e#it :0D l #ens per $att! $hile LEDs generate only :DD l #ens" Lasers are sensitive to heat b t that hasnEt stopped their prod ction for vehicles" Laser technology is not as advanced co#pared $ith LEDs! $hich have been aro nd for decades"9:@; +eca se laser diodes have a range abo t t$ice that of an LED and are #ore then t$ice as efficient as LEDs! laser diodes are li&ely to beco#e the standard in the f t re for high bea# head lights! flashlights and all other light so rces that re, ire directional lighting"