Abstract: A semiconductor laser having an angled facet is provided. The semiconductor laser includes a first distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). The laser further includes an active region coupled to the first DBR, wherein the active region comprises a highly reflective facet and a partially reflective facet, and a second DBR coupled to the active region. The highly reflective facet, the partially reflective facet, the first DBR, and the second DBR form a laser cavity having a shape that is not rectangular. An angled facet emitter enables, for example, single vertical transverse mode operation of optically thick epitaxial gain regions.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, the present teachings relate to Generalized Transverse Bragg Waveguides (GTBW) that can include an a dielectric core having an index of refraction n1 and an optical axis. The optical waveguide can further include a media having an index of refraction n2 bounding a top surface and a bottom surface of the dielectric core, wherein n2<n1. The optical waveguide can also include a first dielectric cladding bounding a first side of the dielectric core, wherein the first dielectric cladding has a first periodic spatially varying index of refraction, and a second dielectric cladding bounding a second side of the dielectric core, wherein the second dielectric cladding has a second periodic spatially varying index of refraction. The direction of the first periodic spatially varying index of refraction and the direction of the second periodic spatially varying index of refraction can be at an angle other than normal or parallel to the optical axis.