High-repetition-frequency high-power pulsed laser diode driver

• A high-repetition-frequency high-power pulse power supply for laser diode driving is designed by using frequency synthesis technique. • High repetition frequency pulses are generated through synthesizing the driving signals for multiple parallel switching transistors. • The proposed circuit is capable of outputting a pulse current of 10 A and a repetition frequency of 10 MHz at different loads, with a rise time of 2.25 ns. • The maximum peak power of 90 W was achieved, and the driver has the potential for 40 MHz repetition frequency. A wide-range high-speed high-resolution LiDAR requires a laser source with high power and high repetition frequency, where the laser power driver plays an important role. Here we propose a high-repetition-frequency high-power pulse power supply for laser diode driving by using frequency synthesis technique. This technique generates a high repetition frequency pulse through synthesizing the driving signals for multiple parallel switching transistors. The output characteristics of this pulse power supply were evaluated under different loads including a resistor, a single laser diode, a laser diode array. The results demonstrate that the proposed circuit is capable of outputting a pulse current of 10 A and a repetition frequency of 10 MHz at different loads, with a rise time of 2.25 ns. Finally, the output characteristics of the laser at different repetition frequencies were measured. A maximum peak power of 90 W was achieved. Additionally, a pulsed laser diode with nano-tunnelling technology shows that the driver has the potential for higher repetition frequency.