Patent ID: 7949027

Claim:
An edge-emitting semiconductor laser device comprising: an n-type cladding layer; a p-type cladding layer; and an optical waveguide disposed between and defined by said n-type and p-type cladding layers and by opposed facets through which light generated in the edge-emitting semiconductor laser is emitted and that are transverse to said n-type and p-type cladding layers, said optical waveguide including a plurality of spaced-apart active layers producing a refractive index distribution, transverse to said active layers, which supports lasing, in a direction transverse to said active layers, in at least three modes, including a fundamental mode and a plurality of higher order modes, wherein the electric field of a particular one of the plurality of higher order modes of oscillation includes a plurality of extreme points, the number of active layers is at least equal to the number of extreme points, and at least one of said active layers is disposed near each extreme point of the extreme points of the electric field of the particular higher order mode of oscillation within said optical waveguide.