Materials containing picocrystalline quantum dots that form artificial atoms are disclosed. The picocrystalline quantum dots (in the form of born icosahedra with a nearly-symmetrical nuclear configuration) can replace corner silicon atoms in a structure that demonstrates both short range and long-range order as determined by x-ray diffraction of actual samples. A novel class of boron-rich compositions that self-assemble from boron, silicon, hydrogen and, optionally, oxygen is also disclosed. The preferred stoichiometric range for the compositions is (B.sub.12H.sub.w).sub.xSi.sub.yO.sub.z with 3≤w≤5, 2≤x≤4, 2≤y≤5 and 0≤z≤3. By varying oxygen content and the presence or absence of a significant impurity such as gold, unique electrical devices can be constructed that improve upon and are compatible with current semiconductor technology.

A device for measuring optical spectra at high speed and with high resolution using tunable optical laser comb sources. In one embodiment there is provided a first tunable comb laser source and a second tunable comb laser source whereby the wavelength of each comb laser source is chosen such that the combination of the two sources provides a continuous spectral coverage over a band in an optical spectrum under a selected wavelength tuning condition. By overlapping the two comb sources in the manner described the deadzone issue is overcome in the most spectrally efficient way possible.

A radiation source for emitting terahertz radiation (6) is specified, comprising at least two laser light sources emitting laser radiation (11, 12) of different frequencies, and a photomixer (5) comprising a photoconductive semiconductor material (51) and an antenna structure (52), the photomixer (5) being configured to emit the laser radiation (11, 12) of the laser light sources (1, 2) and emitting terahertz radiation (6) with at least one beat frequency of the laser light sources, and wherein the at least two laser light sources are surface-emitting semiconductor lasers (1, 2) which are arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array on a common carrier (10).

There is provided a device to generate an output light. The device comprises a substrate, a quantum well structure (QWS) disposed on the substrate, and a waveguide disposed on the substrate and in contact with the QWS. The QWS has a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The second layer is disposed and quantum-confined between the first layer and the third layer. In addition, the second layer is to emit an input light when electrically biased. The input light has an optical field extending outside the QWS and into the waveguide, to optically couple the waveguide with the QWS. The waveguide is to provide an optical resonance cavity for the input light. Moreover, the waveguide has an optical outlet to transmit at least some of the input light out of the waveguide to generate the output light.

An optical instrument for determining a wavelength of light generated by a light source. The optical instrument may include a signal generator for generating a driving signal, a tunable optical filter device configured to receive the driving signal, the tunable optical filter device configured to diffract the light generated by the light source based on the driving signal, an optical detector device configured to detect a timing of maximum diffraction of light diffracted by the tunable optical filter device, and an analyzer configured to determine the wavelength of the light based the timing of maximum diffraction.

A light emitting element (semiconductor laser element) includes a multilayer structure in which a substrate, semiconductor layers to, an insulating layer, and a metal layer are stacked in order. The light emitting element includes a plurality of light emitting portions each of which emits a laser beam. The plurality of light emitting portions each include a ridge (ridge waveguide). The distance from a specific position in an active region in at least one of the light emitting portions to an inner surface of the metal layer is different from that in another of the light emitting portions.

In a WBC system of the present disclosure, an LD bar array constituted by a plurality of LD bars is configured such that a main axis direction of an off-angle of at least one LD bar is reversed with respect to a main axis direction of an off-angle of the other LD bar. By doing so, even in the LD bar in which a wavelength distribution in a wafer exists, a difference between a designed lock wavelength and a gain peak wavelength can be kept within a range where an LD oscillation due to an external resonance is possible for all emitters in the LD bar, thereby an output in the WBC system can be maximized.

A light source module includes a first semiconductor laser element hermetically sealed, a second semiconductor laser element hermetically sealed, and firth to fourth optical elements. A first laser beam prior to reaching the first optical element has divergence angle θfd1 in a direction along a second optical axis and divergence angle θsd1 in a direction along a third optical axis, and satisfy 90°>θfd1>θsd1>0°. Divergence angle θfd12 of a first laser beam in the direction along the second optical axis decreases from divergence angle θfd1, the first laser beam having exited the first optical element. A component of a first laser beam in the direction along the second optical axis is collimated, the first laser beam having exited the second optical element. The same applies to the second semiconductor laser element.

A light source apparatus can avoid double-counting of particles in a flow cytometer for measuring and analyzing a plurality of particles flowing in a flow cell. A light source apparatus for a flow cytometer includes a semiconductor laser for emitting a laser beam, a collimating lens for collimating the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser in a spread light state, a first beam conversion unit composed of prisms and a second beam conversion unit composed of prisms for matching a flow cell length direction with a slow axis direction of the collimated laser beam in a flow cell after reducing the beam diameter in a fast axis direction and increasing the beam diameter in the slow axis direction, and a focusing lens for focusing the laser beam passed through these beam conversion units in the flow cell.

A semiconductor laser has a mirror formed in a gain chip. The mirror can be placed in the gain chip to provide a broadband reflector to support multiple lasers using the gain chip. The mirror can also be placed in the gain chip to have the semiconductor laser be more efficient or more powerful by changing an optical path length of the gain of the semiconductor laser.