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Dr Jayanta Mukherjee

Research Staff

Qualifications: B. Sc (Hons.) Physics, M.Sc (Physics), M.Tech (Laser Tech.), PhD (Laser Physics)

Email:
Phone: Work: 01483 68 9831
Room no: 05 ATI 01

Office hours

10 AM to 6 PM

Further information

Biography

Jayanta Mukherjee has worked at the Optoelectronics Group, Tyndall National Institute (Cork, Ireland), Optical Sciences, University of Arizona (AZ, USA), Optoelectronics Group, Max Born Institute (Berlin, Germany) before joining ATI, University of Surrey.
He was an assistant lecturer with the Applied Math's Dept., University College Cork, Ireland, teaching a course on scientific computing for engineering from 2006-2008. Jayanta has also worked at the Solid State Physics Laboratory, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Govt. of India, Delhi, for his M.Tech (Laser) thesis from July’03- July’04.
He is currently with the Photonics Group, Advanced Technology Institute, University of Surrey where his main research activity is designing space and terrestrial photovoltaic cells for laser power beaming applications, a project funded by EADS-ASTRIUM.

Research Interests

His research interests include cavity nonlinear optics, highly efficient designs for monochromatic photovoltaic cells, nonlinear dynamics in semiconductor lasers, effects of injected coherence in broad area lasers, high power laser diode designs for improving beam quality, thermal management of high power semiconductor diode lasers and arrays, physics of quantum-dot gain medium, widely tunable diode lasers, QCLs, MOPAs, OPSELs

Publications

Journal articles

  • Hempel M, Tomm JW, Elsaesser T, Baeumler M, Konstanzer H, Mukherjee J. (2012) 'Near-field evolution in strongly pumped broad area diode lasers'. SPIE Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 8277
    doi: 10.1117/12.905945
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/733395/

    Abstract

    Many applications such as pumping of solid state lasers or ignition of explosives require high optical output powers during a short period. Pulsed operated diode lasers meet these requirements. They can be driven at elevated power levels, well above the ones specified for continuous wave (cw) operation. The optical near-field intensity of a diode laser in this operation regime is a key parameter since it determines the beam properties of the device. High power AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well broad area diode lasers are subjected to single pulse step tests carried out up to and beyond their ultimate limits of operation. Laser near-fields are monitored on a picosecond time scale using a streak-camera setup during pulse currents of up to ∼50 times the threshold current. A transition from gain guiding to thermally-induced index guiding of the near-field is shown. Further power increase is prevented by catastrophic optical damage (COD). This sudden failure mechanism is studied in conjunction with filamentary properties of the near-field. The defect growth dynamics resolved on the picosecond time scale is used to gather inside into the physics behind COD. © 2012 SPIE.

  • Hempel M, Tomm JW, Elsaesser T, Baeumler M, Konstanzer H, Mukherjee J. (2012) 'Near-field characteristics of broad area diode lasers during catastrophic optical damage failure'. SPIE Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 8432
    doi: 10.1117/12.922395
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/733393/

    Abstract

    One of the failure mechanisms preventing diode lasers in reaching ultra high optical output powers is the catastrophic optical damage (COD). It is a sudden degradation mechanism which impairs the device functionality completely. COD is caused by a positive feedback loop of absorbing laser light and increasing temperature at a small portion of the active material, leading to a thermal runaway on a nanosecond timescale. We analyze commercial gain-guided AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well broad area diode lasers in single pulse step tests. The near-field emission on the way to and at the COD is resolved on a picosecond time scale by a streak-camera combined with a microscope. In the final phase of the step tests the COD is occurring at ~50 times threshold current. The growth of the COD defect site is monitored and defect propagation velocities between 30 and 190 μm/μs are determined. The final shape of the damage is verified by opening the device and taking a micro-photoluminescence map of the active layer. © 2012 Copyright Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

  • Pagano R, Mukherjee J, Sajewicz P, Corbett B. (2011) 'Above Threshold Estimation of Alpha (Henry) Parameter in Stripe Lasers Using Near- and Far-Field Intensity Measurements'. IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS, 47 (4), pp. 439-446.
    doi: 10.1109/JQE.2010.2091255
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/733392/
  • Hempel M, Tomm JW, Elsaesser T, Baeumler M, Konstanzer H, Mukherjee J. (2011) 'Near-field dynamics of broad area diode laser at very high pump levels'. American Institute of Physics AIP Advances, 1 (4)
    doi: 10.1063/1.3664745
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/733396/

    Abstract

    Near-field properties of the emission of broad area semiconductor diode lasers under extremely high pumping of up to ∼50 times the threshold are investigated. A transition from a gain to thermally-induced index guiding is shown under operation with single pulses of 300 ns duration. At highest output powers, catastrophic optical damage is observed which is studied in conjunction with the evolution of time-averaged filamentary near-field properties. Dynamics of the process is resolved on a picosecond time scale. © 2011 Author(s).