| 摘要 |
Systems and methods for expanding an optical mode of a laser or optical amplifier to reduce leakage current. A waveguide layer is included in a laser that optically couples with the active region. The waveguide layer is configured to expand the optical mode into the layers beneath the active region. This enables the thickness of the layers above the active region to be reduced, thereby reducing leakage current. Because the waveguide layer expanded the optical mode without substantially reducing the optical confinement of the active region, the optical loss associated with the metal contact is also reduced even though the layers between the active region and the metal contact have been thinned. In one embodiment, the threshold current is reduced.
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