An edge-emitting semiconductor laser and a method for operating a semiconductor laser are disclosed. In an embodiment, the edge-emitting semiconductor laser includes an active zone within a semiconductor layer sequence and a stress layer. The active zone is configured for being energized only in a longitudinal strip perpendicular to a growth direction of the semiconductor layer sequence. The semiconductor layer sequence has a constant thickness throughout in the region of the longitudinal strip so that the semiconductor laser is gain-guided. The stress layer may locally stress the semiconductor layer sequence in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal strip and in a direction perpendicular to the growth direction. A refractive index of the semiconductor layer sequence, in regions which, seen in plan view, are located next to the longitudinal strip, for the laser radiation generated during operation is reduced by at least 2×10.sup.−4 and by at most 5×10.sup.−3.

An edge-emitting semiconductor laser and a method for operating a semiconductor laser are disclosed. In an embodiment, the edge-emitting semiconductor laser includes an active zone within a semiconductor layer sequence and a stress layer. The active zone is configured for being energized only in a longitudinal strip perpendicular to a growth direction of the semiconductor layer sequence. The semiconductor layer sequence has a constant thickness throughout in the region of the longitudinal strip so that the semiconductor laser is gain-guided. The stress layer may locally stress the semiconductor layer sequence in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal strip and in a direction perpendicular to the growth direction. A refractive index of the semiconductor layer sequence, in regions which, seen in plan view, are located next to the longitudinal strip, for the laser radiation generated during operation is reduced by at least 2×10.sup.−4 and by at most 5×10.sup.−3.

An optical circulator is a device that routes optical pulses from port to port in a predetermined manner, e.g. in a 3-port optical circulator, optical pulses entering port 1 are routed out of port 2, while optical pulses entering port 2 exit out of port 3 and optical pulses fed into port 3 exit out of port 3. Currently such an optical circulator is made of discrete components such as magnetooptic garnets, rare-earth magnets and optical polarizers that are packaged together with fiber optic elements. Disclosed herein is a different kind of optical circulator that is monolithically integrated on a single semiconductor substrate and that is applicable for the routing of optical pulses. The embodied invention will enable photonic integrated circuits to incorporate on-chip optical circulator functionality thereby allowing much more complex optical designs to be implemented monolithically.

A laser device includes: a substrate formed from material transparent at a laser wavelength; a first reflecting layer to reflect at least some incident radiation at the laser wavelength; a layer including a gain medium for providing stimulated emission of radiation at the laser wavelength, and positioned between the first reflecting layer and the substrate; a second reflecting layer on an opposite side of the substrate from the first reflecting layer to reflect at least some incident radiation at the laser wavelength; a spatial light modulator in an optical cavity comprising the first and second reflecting layers, and comprising an array of elements each corresponding to a different path for radiation in the optical cavity; and a computer controller that, during operation, causes the spatial light modulator to selectively vary an intensity or phase of radiation in the optical cavity to provide variable transverse spatial mode output of the radiation.

Systems and methods described herein may include a first semiconductor layer with a first lattice constant, a rare earth pnictide buffer epitaxially grown over the first semiconductor, wherein a first region of the rare earth pnictide buffer adjacent to the first semiconductor has a net strain that is less than 1%, a second semiconductor layer epitaxially grown over the rare earth pnictide buffer, wherein a second region of the rare earth pnictide buffer adjacent to the second semiconductor has a net strain that is a desired strain, and wherein the rare earth pnictide buffer may comprise one or more rare earth elements and one or more Group V elements. In some examples, the desired strain is approximately zero.

Systems and methods described herein may include a first semiconductor layer with a first lattice constant, a rare earth pnictide buffer epitaxially grown over the first semiconductor, wherein a first region of the rare earth pnictide buffer adjacent to the first semiconductor has a net strain that is less than 1%, a second semiconductor layer epitaxially grown over the rare earth pnictide buffer, wherein a second region of the rare earth pnictide buffer adjacent to the second semiconductor has a net strain that is a desired strain, and wherein the rare earth pnictide buffer may comprise one or more rare earth elements and one or more Group V elements. In some examples, the desired strain is approximately zero.

A laser structure, including: a dielectric matrix formed of a first material; a laser source formed within the dielectric matrix and formed of a semiconductor material; and a plurality of side confining features formed within the dielectric matrix and extending parallel to and along a length of the laser source. The plurality of side confining features are formed of the semiconductor material.

A semiconductor light-emitting device including a light-emitting layer, a first N-type waveguide layer and a plurality of semiconductor layers is provided. The light light-emitting layer has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. The first N-type waveguide layer is disposed at the first side, and the semiconductor layers are disposed at the second side. The semiconductor layers include at least one P-type semiconductor layer and a plurality of N-type semiconductor layers, and a quantity of the N-type semiconductor layers is more than a quantity of the at least one P-type semiconductor layer.

Provided in a method of fabricating an optical element array including providing a silicon substrate, providing a first element layer on the silicon substrate, the first element layer including a plurality of passive optical elements, providing a plurality of semiconductor blocks on a compound semiconductor wafer, providing semiconductor dies by dicing the compound semiconductor wafer by the plurality of semiconductor blocks, and providing a second element layer by providing the semiconductor dies on the first element layer, each of the plurality of semiconductor blocks contacting at least one corresponding passive optical element from among the plurality of passive optical elements.

A semiconductor layer stack, a component made therefrom, a component module, and a production method is provided. The semiconductor layer stack has at least two layers (A, B), which, as individual layers, each have an energy position of the Fermi level in the semiconductor band gap,

[00001]$E_F-E_V<\frac{E_G}{2}$

applying to the layer (A) and

[00002]$E_L-E_F<\frac{E_G}{2}$

applying to the layer (B), with E.sub.F the energy position of the Fermi level, E.sub.V the energy position of the valence band, E.sub.L the energy position of a conduction band and E.sub.L−E.sub.V the energy difference of the semiconductor band gap E.sub.G, the thickness of the layers (A, B) being selected in such a way that a continuous space charge zone region over the layers (A, B) results.