Flared semiconductor optoelectronic device

Abstract

As to a first feature, a semiconductor optoelectronic device includes a resonator having an optical cavity between opposite end facets, a larger portion of a length of the resonator cavity comprising a single mode confining region for propagation of light and a smaller portion of a length of the resonator cavity comprising a tapered region for permitting propagation of light with a diverging phase front to a first of the end facets, which first facet is the light beam output. The tapered region provides a sufficiently large aperture to prevent catastrophic optical mirror damage (COD) at the first end facet while reducing the amount of required astigmatism correction while the single mode confining region provides spatial filtering to maintain diffraction-limited beam at the output. This structure therefore, more readily lends itself for incorporation into existing device packages designed for linear stripe laser diodes devices. As to a second feature, a semiconductor optoelectronic device includes a gain region having a region permitting propagation of light with a diverging phase front to a first end facet of the device, which is its output, and a single mode region is coupled to an inner end of the gain region extending from the inner end to a second end facet of the device permitting propagation of light with an adiabatic phase front to the second end. The significantly smaller taper of the single mode region permits retained maintenance of single mode operation while reducing optical density of the propagating beam at the second end facet.