40 years of progress in high-coherent-power lasers: from antiguided to high-index-contrast photonic-crystal lasers

Mode-dependent radiation losses allowed single-element diode lasers to reach 100 mW quasi-CW, single-mode power (1982). Resonant leaky-wave coupling in ROW arrays, actual photonic-crystal lasers, led to 10 W pulsed and 1.6 W CW near-diffraction-limited powers (2000). Quantum-cascade-laser ROW arrays provide 5.3 W diffraction-limited power (2019).