High-power external cavity diode laser with narrow linewidth emission and adjustable polarization state at 445 nm

A high-power external cavity diode laser (ECDL) system at 445 nm is proposed that has narrow-band linewidth emission and adjustable polarization state and can be used for nonlinear frequency conversion in deep ultraviolet spectrum. By introducing a half-wave plate to control the polarization state of the laser source, the first-order diffraction (R1st) efficiency is changed. The relationship between the linewidth and the first-order diffraction efficiency is discussed through simulation and experiment. In addition, the tunable ranges of the ECDL are measured. Finally, a continuous-wave output with the spectral width of 72 pm at 445 nm and a maximum optical output power of 1.52 W can be obtained when R1st is 25%, of which the tunable range has a minimum of 2.3 nm.