Patent ID: 7804871

Claim:
A semiconductor laser comprising: a ridge having an equivalent refractive index, n 1 ; and first and second laser light absorbing regions that absorb laser light generated by said semiconductor laser, respectively located on opposite sides of and spaced from said semiconductor ridge by a distance, d, wherein said first and second laser light absorbing regions include a semiconductor layer having first and second portions respectively located on opposite sides of and spaced from each other and from said ridge, sandwiching said ridge, and defining respective first and second channels between said first and second portions of said semiconductor layer and said ridge, the first and second channels having a width, Wc, that is larger than d, and an equivalent refractive index, n 2 , and said semiconductor laser oscillates in a fundamental mode, generating laser light having an electric field that extends across each of said first and second channels and that enters and is absorbed in said first and second laser light absorbing regions.