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 device comprises first, second, third and fourth elements fabricated on a common substrate. The first element comprises an active waveguide structure supporting a first optical mode, the second element comprises a passive waveguide structure supporting a second optical mode, the third element, at least partly butt-coupled to the first element, comprises an intermediate waveguide structure supporting intermediate optical modes, and a fourth element comprising TCO material that is attached to the first element. If the first optical mode differs from the second optical mode by more than a predetermined amount, a tapered waveguide structure in at least one of the second and third elements facilitates efficient adiabatic transformation. No adiabatic transformation occurs between any of the intermediate optical modes and the first optical mode. Mutual alignments of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth elements are defined using lithographic alignment marks.

Methods for designing a mode-selective optical device including one or more optical interfaces defining an optical cavity include: defining a loss function within a simulation space encompassing the optical device, the loss function corresponding to an electromagnetic field having an operative wavelength within the optical device resulting from an interaction between an input electromagnetic field at the operative wavelength and the one or more optical interfaces of the optical device; defining an initial structure for each of the one or more optical interfaces, each initial structure being defined using a plurality of voxels; determining values for at least one structural parameter and/or at least one functional parameter of the one or more optical interfaces by solving Maxwell's equations; and defining a final structure of the one or more optical interfaces based on the values for the one or more structural and/or functional parameters.

A confinement assembly configured for confining quantum objects is provided. The confinement assembly includes a first substrate having potential generating elements formed thereon; and may include a second substrate that is secured with respect to the first substrate. The confinement assembly further includes at least a portion of a laser (e.g., gain media and at least part of a resonant structure) formed on the first and/or second substrate. The potential generating elements are operable for generating confinement regions configured for confining the quantum objects. The confinement assembly at least partially defines an optical path for causing an optical beam to interact with the at least a portion of the laser. The optical beam is (a) a seeding laser beam configured to control at least one property of light emitted by the laser or (b) an optical pumping beam configured to power the lasing activity of the laser.

A semiconductor laser device lases in a multiple transverse mode and includes a stacked structure where a first conductivity-side semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity-side semiconductor layer are stacked above a substrate. The second conductivity-side semiconductor layer includes a current block layer having an opening that delimits a current injection region. Side faces as a pair are formed in portions of the stacked structure that range from part of the first conductivity-side semiconductor layer to the second conductivity-side semiconductor layer. The active layer has a second width greater than a first width of the opening. The side faces in at least part of the first conductivity-side semiconductor layer are inclined to the substrate. A maximum intensity position in a light distribution of light guided in the stacked structure, in a direction of the normal to the substrate, is within the first conductivity-side semiconductor layer.

A master oscillator power amplifier comprises a semiconductor laser formed on a substrate and configured to output an optical signal, and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) formed on the substrate. The SOA comprises an optical waveguide having an optically active region, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to expand a mode size of the optical signal along at least two dimensions.

An optical device includes a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate comprising a surface region configured in a (20-2-1) orientation, a (30-3-1) orientation, or a (30-31) orientation, within +/−10 degrees toward c-plane and/or a-plane from the orientation. Optical devices having quantum well regions overly the surface region are also disclosed.

An intermediate ultraviolet laser diode device includes a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate member comprising a surface region, a release material overlying the surface region, an n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material; an active region overlying the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material; a p-type gallium and nitrogen containing material; a first transparent conductive oxide material overlying the p-type gallium and nitrogen containing material; and an interface region overlying the first transparent conductive oxide material.

A laser device includes a III-V heterostructure amplifying medium; a silicon optical waveguide having a coupling section facing a central portion of the amplifying medium, a propagation section and a first transition section between the coupling section and the propagation section; and a first and a second reflective structure allowing a Fabry-Perot type resonant cavity to be formed between them for the amplifying medium. The coupling section includes a refractive index disruption region provided with micro-reflectors designed to reduce the thickness and/or the width of the coupling section. The first reflective structure is formed in a section of the waveguide with a first thickness. The second reflective structure is formed in a section of the waveguide, which has the first thickness and which is separated from the coupling section by a second transition section of the waveguide, the second transition section having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness.

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.