Optoelectronic semiconductor chip, comprising a carrier and a semiconductor layer sequence which is mounted on the carrier and is based on a nitride compound semiconductor material having - at least one active zone which is designed for generating an electromagnetic radiation, - at least one waveguide layer which adjoins the active zone, wherein a waveguide is formed, and - a p-cladding layer which adjoins the waveguide layer on a p-doped side and an n-cladding layer on an n-doped side of the active zone, wherein - at least the n-cladding layer is divided into at least two partial layers having different average aluminum contents, - a first half of the n-cladding layer has a higher average aluminum content than a second half of the n-cladding layer, wherein the halves (H1, H2) are of equal thickness, the halves (H1, H2) are a fictitious subdivision of the n-cladding layer and the first half is closer to the waveguide, - the average aluminum content of the first half exceeds the mean aluminum content of the second half by at least 0.1 percentage points, and - a mean refractive index of the n-cladding layer is smaller than a refractive index of the carrier, characterized in that - an effective refractive index of a mode guided in the waveguide is between the mean refractive index of the n-cladding layer and the mean refractive index of the waveguide, - the effective refractive index of the mode guided in the waveguide is greater than the refractive index of the carrier, and - an evanescent field of the radiation which is totally reflected on the p-cladding layer or on the n-cladding layer and which is generated in the active zone penetrates into the carrier and an amplitude of the evanescent field in the carrier, in relation to a start amplitude at a total-reflecting interface, is at least 2.5% in places. - at least one active zone which is designed for generating an electromagnetic radiation, - at least one waveguide layer which adjoins the active zone, wherein a waveguide is formed, and - a p-cladding layer which adjoins the waveguide layer on a p-doped side and an n-cladding layer on an n-doped side of the active zone, - at least the n-cladding layer is divided into at least two partial layers having different average aluminum contents, - a first half of the n-cladding layer has a higher average aluminum content than a second half of the n-cladding layer, wherein the halves (H1, H2) are of equal thickness, the halves (H1, H2) are a fictitious subdivision of the n-cladding layer and the first half is closer to the waveguide, - the average aluminum content of the first half exceeds the mean aluminum content of the second half by at least 0.1 percentage points, and - a mean refractive index of the n-cladding layer is smaller than a refractive index of the carrier, characterized in that - an effective refractive index of a mode guided in the waveguide is between the mean refractive index of the n-cladding layer and the mean refractive index of the waveguide, - the effective refractive index of the mode guided in the waveguide is greater than the refractive index of the carrier, and - an evanescent field of the radiation which is totally reflected on the p-cladding layer or on the n-cladding layer and which is generated in the active zone penetrates into the carrier and an amplitude of the evanescent field in the carrier, in relation to a start amplitude at a total-reflecting interface, is at least 2.5% in places.