Abstract: According to a semiconductor laser device of the present invention, the thickness and carrier concentration of a current blocking layer are set so as to cause a punch through on the current blocking layer when the semiconductor laser device is driven at a current which is one to ten times as large as a maximum rated value of a DC driving current. Both a light absorbing layer and a photocurrent blocking layer are formed between the current blocking layer and a second clad layer in order to prevent a light turn-on phenomenon from occurring. The light absorbing layer contacts the second clad layer and is constituted of a semiconductor crystal of a p-type conductivity type, which is undoped or has a low concentration. The photocurrent blocking layer contacts the current blocking layer and is constituted of a semiconductor crystal of the p-type conductivity type. If the band gaps of the light absorbing layer, photocurrent blocking layer, and active layer are represented by E.sub.ab, E.sub.ocb, and E.sub.