Patent ID: 6058125
Filing Date: 2000-05-02
Classification: G02B,H01S

Abstract:
A semiconductor laser having an optical laser cavity in which is formed an active multiquantum well waveguiding layer structure in stacked relationship with an additional multilayer waveguide structure, wherein the additional multilayer waveguide structure extends to an end of the laser optical cavity, while the multiquantum well waveguiding structure terminates abruptly a predetermined distance, short of said end, wherein, over said predetermined distance, the additional multilayer waveguide structure is a multilayer coupled waveguide structure that supports odd and even order modes comprising at least zero, first and second order modes, wherein the relative thicknesses and spacings of the layers of the additional multilayer waveguide structure are such that, over said predetermined distance and at a frequency at which the laser lases, and for each of the even order modes, there is a phase slippage between that even order mode and the or each other even order mode that is substantially equal to 2.pi., or an integral multiple thereof, and, for the or each odd order mode, there is a phase slippage between that odd order mode and any one of the even order modes that is substantially equal to .pi., or an odd integral multiple thereof.