A light source comprising: —at least one semiconductor chip capable of emitting incident radiation: —an output stage comprising at least one fiber or free space for propagating a plurality of predefined modes; —at least one optical part having a microstructured main surface arranged opposite the semiconductor chip for intercepting the incident radiation, spatially modifying the phase of the incident radiation and forming, by a plurality of reflections and/or transmissions on the optical component, transformed light radiation comprising at least the predefined modes.

A semiconductor laser is formed to include a current blocking layer that is positioned below the active region of the device and used to minimize current spreading beyond the defined dimensions of an output beam's optical mode. When used in conjunction with other current-confining structures typically disposed above the active region (e.g., ridge waveguide, electrical isolation, oxide aperture), the inclusion of the lower current blocking layer improves the efficiency of the device. The current blocking layer may be used in edge-emitting devices or vertical cavity surface-emitting devices, and also functions to improve mode shaping and reduction of facet deterioration by directing current flow away from the facets.

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.

The present disclosure relates to a diode laser having reduced beam divergence. Some implementations reduce a beam divergence in the far field by means of a deliberate modulation of the real refractive index of the diode laser. An area of the diode laser (e.g., the injection zone), may be structured with different materials having different refractive indices. In some implementations, the modulation of the refractive index makes it possible to excite a supermode, the field of which has the same phase (in-phase mode) under the contacts. Light, which propagates under the areas of a lower refractive index, obtains a phase shift of π after passing through the index-guiding trenches. Consequently, the in-phase mode is supported and the formation of the out-of-phase mode is prevented. Consequently, the laser field can, in this way, be stabilized even at high powers such that only a central beam lobe remains in the far field.

The present technology can be used to control the current injection profile in the longitudinal direction of a high-power diode laser in order to optimize current densities as a function of position in the cavity to promote higher reliable output power and increase the electrical to optical conversion efficiency of the device beyond the level which can be achieved without application of this technique. This approach can be utilized, e.g., in the fabrication of semiconductor laser chips to improve the output power and wall plug efficiency for applications requiring improved performance operation.

A semiconductor chip (100) is provided, having a first semiconductor layer (1), which has a lateral variation of a material composition along at least one direction of extent. Additionally provided is a method for producing a semiconductor chip (100).

A broad area laser diode is configured to include an anti-guiding layer located outside of the active region of the device. The anti-guiding layer is formed of a high refractive index material that serves to de-couple unwanted, higher-order lateral modes (attributed to thermal lensing problems) from the lower-order mode output beam of output signal from the laser diode. The anti-guiding layer is formed using a single epitaxial growth step either prior to or subsequent to the steps used to grow the epitaxial layers forming the laser diode itself, thus creating a structure that provides suppression of unwanted higher-order modes without requiring a modification of specific process steps used to fabricate the laser diode itself.

A laser including a grating configured to reduce lasing threshold for a selected vertically confined mode as compared to other vertically confined modes.

A semiconductor laser diode is provided. A semiconductor layer sequence has semiconductor layers applied vertically one above the other. An active layer includes an active region having a width of greater than or equal to 30 μm emitting laser radiation during operation via a radiation coupling-out surface. The radiation coupling-out surface is formed by a lateral surface of the semiconductor layer sequence and forms, with an opposite rear surface, a resonator having lateral gain-guiding in a longitudinal direction. The semiconductor layer sequence is heated in a thermal region of influence by reason of the operation. A metallization layer is in direct contact with a top side of the semiconductor layer sequence.

A laser including a grating configured to reduce lasing threshold for a selected vertically confined mode as compared to other vertically confined modes.