Distributed feedback devices such as distributed feedback lasers are modified by introduction of a central coupling strength discontinuity or other deviation from uniform nature of the distributed perturbations, in order to promote the transmission of oscillation of a single mode in preference over the nearest redundant modes. The class of deviations from uniform coupling strength may be mathematically termed antisymmetric deviations, because they are deviations about the midpoint of the perturbation pattern which result in a distinction of effect of the two halves of the pattern, taking either half as a reference pattern by itself.
A semiconductor laser including a stripe-shaped active layer, a clad region, and a diffraction grating. The stripe-shaped active layer has a thickness in a first direction, has a first energy gap, and extends in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The clad region surrounds the stripe-shaped active layer, and has a second energy band gap greater than the first energy band gap. The diffraction grating is provided in parallel with and adjacent to, the stripe-shaped active layer. The stripe-shaped active layer has a first portion with a first light propagation constant and with a first dimension in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions, and has a second portion with a second light propagation constant and with a second dimension in the third direction. The first dimension and the second dimension are different from each other. The second portion has a length L in the second direction. The stripe-shaped active layer satisfies the condition that a product of .DELTA..beta. and L is an odd multiple of .pi./2, where .DELTA..beta. is a difference between the first and second light propagation constants.
A distributed feedback semiconductor laser which has periodic corrugations in a light emitting layer or an adjoining layer in the direction of travel of light and performs laser oscillation by the injection of carriers into said light emitting layer. In accordance with the present invention, there are provided, in the neighborhood of the center of a laser region, a region for changing the phase of the periodic corrugations by about 180 degrees, and, on the extension of the laser oscillation region at both sides thereof, a window region formed of a semiconductor larger in energy gap but smaller in refractive index than the light emitting layer, the length of the window region being so limited as to prevent substantial reflection of laser output light in the window region.
Disclosed is a distributed feedback semiconductor laser provided with a grating which effects optical feedback by means of periodic corrugation disposed inside an optical resonator. The optical resonator has at least two regions having different bragg wavelength, and these regions are arranged longitudinally in the direction of an optical axis. The laser device can realize stable single longitudinal mode oscillation.
A distributed feedback semiconductor laser provided with a grating which effects optical feedback by means of periodic corrugation disposed inside an optical resonator. The optical resonator has at least two regions having different Bragg wavelengths, and these regions are arranged longitudinally in the direction of an optical axis. The laser device can realize stable single longitudinal mode oscillation through variation of the refractive indexes of the regions nonuniformly around an average value.
A distributed feedback semiconductor laser, in which the periodic corrugations in the first region and the second region of the light emitting region of the DFB laser have different lengths or depths to make the intensities of the Bragg reflection of the first region and the second region different from each other, thereby obtaining asymmetrical light outputs from the both sides of the DFB laser.
