Low-power diode lasers are a well established technology, used extensively in products such as DVD players, computer optical drives, fiber-optic telecommunications and even laser pointers. While these commonly encountered low power diode lasers typically only provide a few milliwatts of output, diode laser systems are available with power levels in the multi-kilowatt range. These types of diode lasers are currently employed in a number of different materials processing applications; the basic construction and operation of these systems is described here.
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