Abstract: A semiconductor ridge laser for coupling to a single-mode optical fiber has a ridge with a narrow parallel region, a diverging region, and then a wide parallel region that is adjacent to an output facet. A pump region for the laser may be less than the entire area of the ridge and have a “T” shape. Preferably, the ridge has a depth of about 350 to 550 nm and the narrow parallel region has a length of more than 0.4 times the overall length of the ridge. The wide parallel region at the output enables the laser to obtain low thermal resistance, which leads to a low operating temperature, a low power density in the laser cavity, and low astigmatism.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical assembly for opto-electronic packages comprising an optical fibre secured on the underside of an elongated support member in optical alignment with an opto-electronic device, wherein said support member is affixed to an aligning member, which in turn is affixed, e.g., by laser welding, to a welding platform. In a preferred embodiment, the elongated support member is a planar parallelepiped. In a further preferred embodiment, the elongated support member is a parallelepiped with an axially extended slot, in which the optical fibre is secured with its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axially extended slot.