An optical semiconductor device includes a multi-quantum well layer including well layers and barrier layers alternately overlapping with each other, an optical confinement layer, and a guide layer interposed between the multi-quantum well layer and the optical confinement layer. Each barrier layer is an undoped layer and an outermost layer is one of the barrier layers. The optical confinement layer has a refractive index that is greater than that of the outermost layer and a band gap that is smaller than that of the outermost layer. The guide layer includes a first adjacent layer in contact with the outermost layer and the guide layer is thinner than the optical confinement layer. Each of the optical confinement layer and the guide layer is an n-type semiconductor layer. The first adjacent layer of the guide layer has a band gap that is larger than that of the optical confinement layer.

A laser diode is provided, including at least a defect blocking layer deposited between the GaAs substrate and the active layer, so that the crystal defects of the GaAs substrate can be blocked or reduced from propagation to the active layer when the epitaxial layer is formed on the GaAs substrate. As such, the crystal quality of the active layer can be improved, thereby improving the reliability and optical property of the laser diode.

An optoelectronic component includes an active layer having a multiple quantum well structure, wherein the multiple quantum well structure includes quantum well layers, including Al.sub.x1In.sub.y1Ga.sub.1-x1-y1N with 0≤x1<0.03, 0≤y1≤0.1 and x1+y1≤1, and barrier layers including Al.sub.x2In.sub.y2Ga.sub.1-x2-y2N with 0≤x2≤1, 0≤y2≤0.02 and x2+y2≤1, wherein the barrier layers have a spatially varying aluminium content x2, a maximum value of the aluminium content in the barrier layers is x2,max≥0.05, and a minimum value of the aluminium content in the barrier layers is x2,min<0.05.

A low voltage laser device having an active region configured for one or more selected wavelengths of light emissions.

A semiconductor light emitting element includes: a GaN substrate; a first semiconductor layer located above the GaN substrate and including a nitride semiconductor of a first conductivity type; an active layer located above the first semiconductor layer and including a nitride semiconductor including Ga or In; an electron barrier layer located above the active layer and including a nitride semiconductor including Al; and a second semiconductor layer located above the electron barrier layer and including a nitride semiconductor of a second conductivity type. The electron barrier layer includes: a first region having an Al composition ratio changing at a first change rate; and a second region having an Al composition ratio changing at a second change rate larger than the first change rate. In the first second regions, the Al composition ratio monotonically increases at the first change rate in the direction from the active layer toward second semiconductor layer.

A nitride semiconductor light-emitting element includes: an N-type cladding layer; an N-side first guide layer; an N-side second guide layer; an active layer including a well layer and a barrier layer; and a P-type cladding layer. The band gap energy of the barrier layer is larger than the band gap energy of the N-side second guide layer. The band gap energy of the N-side second guide layer is smaller than the band gap energy of the N-side first guide layer. The band gap energy of the N-side first guide layer is smaller than the band gap energy of the N-type cladding layer. The cladding layers, the guide layers, and the barrier layer each comprise a nitride semiconductor including Al.

Stacked edge-emitting lasers having multiple active regions coupled together using tunnel junctions. The composition of each of the active regions (quantum wells and/or barriers) differs to provide a controlled different emission wavelength for each junction, when each junction is individually operated at the same fixed temperature. When the device is under operation, a thermal gradient exists across the junctions, and the emission wavelengths of each junction coincide as the different temperature for each junction causes relative wavelength shifts. Thus, the effect of temperature on the emission wavelength of the device is compensated for, producing a narrower linewidth emission.

The invention relates to an apparatus, system and method for reducing or eliminating polarization effects in a compound semiconductor quantum well optical gain structure including the quantum confined Stark effect (QCSE) and carrier leakage effects. The system comprises a quantum well formed by a monotonic, stepwise and/or continuous compositional grading of a first quantum well interface toward a reduced bandgap, also including a monotonic, stepwise or continuous compositional grading of a second quantum well interface toward an increased bandgap thereby creating a quantum well shape that is substantially symmetric under the influence of electrostatic and/or electrodynamic fields. The system also comprises an electron blocking layer formed by a stepwise or continuous compositional grading starting from the maximum bandgap of the quantum well and increasing toward a larger bandgap, thereby creating a barrier shape with reduced electron sheet charge due to the influence of electrostatic fields.

A semiconductor laser device includes: a first semiconductor layer on a first conductivity side; a second semiconductor layer on the first conductivity side; an active layer; a third semiconductor layer on a second conductivity side different from the first conductivity side; and a fourth semiconductor layer on the second conductivity side. Eg2<Eg3 is satisfied, where Eg2 and Eg3 denote maximum values of band gap energy of the second semiconductor layer and the third semiconductor layer, respectively. The third semiconductor layer includes a first region layer in which band gap energy monotonically decreases toward the fourth semiconductor layer. N2>N3 is satisfied, where N2 denotes an impurity concentration of the second semiconductor layer, and N3 denotes an impurity concentration of the third semiconductor layer.

A semiconductor laser element includes: a first nitride semiconductor layer of a first conductivity-type; a second nitride semiconductor layer of a second conductivity-type; and an active region disposed between the first nitride semiconductor layer and the second nitride semiconductor layer, the active region having a single quantum well structure. The active region comprises a first barrier layer, an intermediate layer, a well layer, and a second barrier layer, in this order in a direction from the first nitride semiconductor layer toward the second nitride semiconductor layer. The well layer is composed of InGaN. The second barrier layer is undoped. A lattice constant of the intermediate layer is greater than a lattice constant of each of the first barrier layer and the second barrier layer, and smaller than a lattice constant of the well layer. A thickness of the intermediate layer is greater than a thickness of the well layer.