Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor laser wherein an interface layer is provided on an upper cladding layer formed on an active layer, the interface layer having a smaller Al mole ratio than that of the upper cladding layer, thereby preventing oxidation of the semiconductor surface which is exposed to the atmosphere, and thus improving the crystallizability of a semiconductor layer which is to be formed subsequently. By setting the refractive index of this semiconductor layer so as to be smaller than that of the upper cladding layer, light can be confined in the active layer at increased efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to phased-array semiconductor lasers having a radiation angle turnable by oscillating independently and stably between the fundamental supermode and the higher order supermode and switching the radiation angles by utilizing the property that their radiation angles are different.Optical switching and optical scanning, that have been difficult in the prior art, can be made more easily by use of a semiconductor laser having a turnable radiation angle.The objection of the present invention can be accomplished by disposing separate electrodes at the emission stripes and at the gap between the stripes in the phased-array semiconductor laser.Further, the present invention may be accomplished by dividing at least one stripe electrode in order to form electrode regions. When the current is applied to all the electrodes, oscillation occurs in the highest order mode and the beam is emitted in another direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser device having a stripe-shaped active region defined between a pair of end surfaces, at least one of the end surfaces having a curved cross-section in a plane parallel to the active region with a radius of curvature from 10 to 300 .mu.m, the stripe of the active region having such a width that a single transverse mode and a multi-longitudinal mode are allowed. The laser beam emitted from this laser can have little astigmatism and small spot size.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser which has a super lattice layer between a substrate and a light confinement layer, and in which a portion of the super lattice layer other than a portion corresponding to the radiation region of an active layer is disordered to block the electric current. The disordering is effected in a self-aligned manner to simplify the manufacturing process. Therefore, and element which oscillates and maintains a fundamental transverse mode is obtained with a good yield.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser having such a structure that a laser structure including a laser active region of multi quantum well structure, cladding layers and a cap layer is formed on a substrate, is disclosed in which both end regions of the laser active region in the quantum well layer is converted into mixed crystal by impurity induced intermixing so that a multi quantum well active region is sandwiched between mixed crystal regions, and impurity diffused regions are formed between the surface of the crystal and the mixed crystal regions, to form a current path and to inject carriers into the multi quantum well region in a direction parallel to the laser active layer. Thus, the semiconductor laser can modulate laser oscillation at a very high frequency, and moreover is readily fabricated or integrated.