Patent ID: 8121165

Claim:
A multi-quantum well laser structure comprising a laser substrate, a semiconductor active region, a waveguide region, and a cladding region, wherein: the active region comprises one or more active MQW regions configured for optically-pumped stimulated emission of photons; each of the MQW regions comprises a plurality of quantum wells, which comprise a bandgap-reducing Group III nitride component, and intervening nitride barrier layers of barrier layer thickness a; adjacent MQW regions are separated by a nitride spacer layer of spacer thickness b; the spacer thickness b is larger than the barrier layer thickness a; the bandgap of the quantum wells is lower than the bandgap of the intervening nitride barrier layers and the nitride spacer layer; and the respective active, waveguide, and cladding regions form a multi-layered structure over the laser substrate such that the waveguide region guides the stimulated emission of photons from the active region, and the cladding region promotes propagation of the emitted photons in the waveguide region.