The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded Infinite Photonics Inc. a $12 million contract for the development and commercialization of its single-mode grating-coupled surface-emitting laser diodes with powers more than 100 times greater than currently available Fabry-Perot devices. The diodes are expected to offer ultrashort pulse widths, high beam quality and repetition rates, and low divergence angles with narrow linewidth, tunability and high mode suppression. This technology platform for the optical communications and materials processing markets is intended to enhance performance and reduce assembly and packaging costs.