A tunable laser includes a reflective silicon optical amplifier (RSOA) with a reflective end and an interface end and an array of narrow-band reflectors, which each have a different center wavelength. It also includes a silicon-photonic optical switch, having an input port and N output ports that are coupled to a different narrow-band reflector in the array of narrow-band reflectors. The tunable laser also includes an optical waveguide coupled between the interface end of the RSOA and the input of the silicon-photonic optical switch. The frequency of this tunable laser can be tuned in discrete increments by selectively coupling the input port of the silicon-photonic optical switch to one of the N output ports, thereby causing the RSOA to form a lasing cavity with a selected narrow-band reflector coupled to the selected output port. The tunable laser also includes a laser output optically coupled to the lasing cavity.

An optical module includes a waveguide interposer and at least one light source unit. The waveguide interposer includes at least one input terminal, at least one waveguide channel, and at least one output terminal. The at least one input terminal is configured to receive laser light, and the at least one waveguide channel is coupled to the at least one input terminal and is configured to guide the laser light. Each light source unit is configured to output the laser light to a corresponding input terminal of the at least one input terminal.

A surface emitting laser may include an isolation layer including a first center portion and a first plurality of outer portions extending from the first center portion, and a metal layer including a second center portion and a second plurality of outer portions extending from the second center portion. The metal layer may be formed on the isolation layer such that a first outer portion, of the second plurality of outer portions, is formed over one of the first plurality of outer portions. The surface emitting laser may include a passivation layer including a plurality of openings. An opening may be formed over the first outer portion. The surface emitting laser may include a plurality of oxidation trenches. An oxidation trench may be positioned at least partially between the first outer portion and a second outer portion of the second plurality of outer portions.

A method for manufacturing a light emitting device can include providing a substrate; forming a first active layer with a first electrical polarity; forming a light emitting region configured to emit light with a target wavelength between 200 nm and 300 nm; forming a second active layer with a second electrical polarity; forming a first electrical contact layer, optionally comprising a first optical reflector; removing a portion of the first electrical contact layer, the second active layer, the light emitting region, and the first active layer to form a plurality of mesas; and forming a second electrical contact layer. Each mesa can include a mesa width smaller than 10 times the target wavelength that confines the emitted light from the light emitting region to fewer than 10 transverse modes, or a mesa width smaller than twice a current spreading length of the light emitting device.

A laser emitter is provided, including a substrate and a dielectric mask layer located proximate to and above the substrate in a thickness direction. The dielectric mask layer may have a plurality of trenches formed therein. The plurality of trenches may have a plurality of different respective widths. The laser emitter may further include a respective nanowire located within each trench of the plurality of trenches. Each nanowire may include a first semiconductor layer located above the substrate in the thickness direction. Each nanowire may further include a quantum well layer located proximate to and above the first semiconductor layer in the thickness direction. Each nanowire may further include a second semiconductor layer located proximate to and above the quantum well layer in the thickness direction.

A semiconductor light emitting device includes: a nitride semiconductor light emitting element including a nitride semiconductor substrate having a polar or semipolar surface and a nitride semiconductor multilayer film stacked on the polar or semipolar surface; and a mounting section to which the element is mounted. The nitride semiconductor multilayer film includes an electron block layer. The electron block layer has a smaller lattice constant than the nitride semiconductor substrate. The mounting section includes at least a first mounting section base. The first mounting section base is located close to the nitride semiconductor light emitting element. The first mounting section base has a lower thermal expansion coefficient than the nitride semiconductor multilayer film. The first mounting section base has a lower thermal conductivity than the nitride semiconductor multilayer film.

Ina light emitting device, a first diametrical size that is the largest size of a columnar part between a substrate side of a light emitting layer and an opposite side of the substrate, the columnar part has a size no larger than the first diametrical size in an area between the substrate side of the light emitting layer and the substrate side of a first semiconductor layer, the columnar part has a size smaller than the first diametrical size in the area between the substrate side of the light emitting layer and the substrate side of the first semiconductor layer, the columnar part has a size no larger than the first diametrical size in an area between the opposite side to the substrate of the light emitting layer, and an opposite side to the substrate of a second semiconductor layer, and the columnar part has a size smaller than the first diametrical size in the area between the opposite side to the substrate of the light emitting layer in the laminating direction, and the opposite side to the substrate of the second semiconductor layer.

A semiconductor laser element includes: an n-side semiconductor layer formed of a nitride semiconductor; an active layer disposed on or above the n-side semiconductor layer and formed of a nitride semiconductor; a p-side semiconductor layer disposed on the active layer, formed of a nitride semiconductor, and including: an undoped first part disposed in contact with an upper face of the active layer and comprising at least one semiconductor layer, an electron barrier layer disposed in contact with an upper face of the first part, containing a p-type impurity, and having a band gap energy that is larger than a band gap energy of the first part, and a second part disposed in contact with the upper face of the electron barrier layer and comprising at least one p-type semiconductor layer containing a p-type impurity; and a p-electrode disposed in contact with the upper face of the second part.

A method for manufacturing an optical semiconductor device having a ridge stripe configuration containing an active layer and current blocking layers which embed both sides of the ridge stripe configuration, comprises steps of forming a mask of an insulating film on a surface of a semiconductor layer containing an active layer, forming a ridge stripe configuration by etching a semiconductor layer using gas containing SiCl.sub.4, removing an oxide layer with regard to a Si based residue which is attached on a surface which is etched of the ridge stripe configuration which is formed and removing a Si based residue whose oxide layer is removed.

A laser structure comprising a first photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL), a second PCSEL, and a coupling region that extends between the first PCSEL and the second PCSEL along a longitudinal axis and that is electrically controllable so as to be capable of coherently coupling the first PCSEL to the second PCSEL. Each PCSEL include an active layer, a photonic crystal, and a two-dimensional periodic array distributed in an array plane parallel to the longitudinal axis within the photonic crystal where the two-dimensional periodic array is formed of regions having a refractive index that is different to the surrounding photonic crystal.