Visible red diode lasers developed for DVD process
Semiconductor Laser International (SLI; Binghamton, NY) has developed visible red diode lasers specifically for the digital-videodisk (DVD) process. The high-power single-mode diodes have a power output of 40 mW at a wavelength of 660 nm and threshold current of 40 mA. Geoffrey Burnham, president and CEO of SLI, says, "The development of visible red lasers will be an asset to SLI`s family of high-power semiconductor diode lasers. SLI hopes to become a supplier in the rapidly expanding optical-storage market, of which DVD amounts to approximately 50%." The overall optical-storage market is estimated by Strategies Unlimited (Mountain View, CA) to be more than $80 million in sales for 1997, u¥from $25 million in 1996.