Since its inception in 1966, the series of numbered volumes known as Semiconductors and Semimetals has distinguished itself through the careful selection of well-known authors, editors, and contributors. The "Willardson and Beer" Series, as it is widely known, has succeeded in publishing numerous landmark volumes and chapters. Not only did many of these volumes make an impact at the time of their publication, but they continue to be well-cited years after their original release. Recently, Professor Eicke R. Weber of the University of California at Berkeley joined as a co-editor of the series.

Foreword by Charles H Townes This volume includes highlights of the theories underlying the essential phenomena occurring in novel semiconductor lasers as well as the principles of operation of selected heterostructure lasers. To understand scattering processes in heterostructure lasers and related optoelectronic devices, it is essential to consider the role of dimensional confinement of charge carriers as well as acoustical and optical phonons in quantum structures. Indeed, it is important to consider the confinement of both phonons and carriers in the design and modeling of novel semiconductor lasers such as the tunnel injection laser, quantum well intersubband lasers, and quantum dot lasers. The full exploitation of dimensional confinement leads to the exciting new capability of scattering time engineering in novel semiconductor lasers.As a result of continuing advances in techniques for growing quantum heterostructures, recent developments are likely to be followed in coming years by many more advances in semiconductor lasers and optoelectronics. As our understanding of these devices and the ability to fabricate them grow, so does our need for more sophisticated theories and simulation methods bridging the gap between quantum and classical transport.

Since its invention in 1962, the semiconductor laser has come a long way. Advances in material purity and epitaxial growth techniques have led to a variety of semiconductor lasers covering a wide wavelength range of 0. 3- 100 ~m. The development during the 1970s of GaAs semiconductor lasers, emitting in the near-infrared region of 0. 8-0. 9 ~m, resulted in their use for the first generation of optical fiber communication systems. However, to take advantage oflow losses in silica fibers occurring around 1. 3 and 1. 55 ~m, the emphasis soon shifted toward long-wavelength semiconductor lasers. The material system of choice in this wavelength range has been the quaternary alloy InGaAsP. During the last five years or so, the intense development effort devoted to InGaAsP lasers has resulted in a technology mature enough that lightwave transmission systems using InGaAsP lasers are currently being deployed throughout the world. This book is intended to provide a comprehensive account of long-wave length semiconductor lasers. Particular attention is paid to InGaAsP lasers, although we also consider semiconductor lasers operating at longer wave lengths. The objective is to provide an up-to-date understanding of semicon ductor lasers while incorporating recent research results that are not yet available in the book form. Although InGaAsP lasers are often used as an example, the basic concepts discussed in this text apply to all semiconductor lasers, irrespective of their wavelengths.

This book describes the fascinating recent advances made concerning the chaos, stability and instability of semiconductor lasers, and discusses their applications and future prospects in detail. It emphasizes the dynamics in semiconductor lasers by optical and electronic feedback, optical injection, and injection current modulation. Applications of semiconductor laser chaos, control and noise, and semiconductor lasers are also demonstrated. Semiconductor lasers with new structures, such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers and broad-area semiconductor lasers, are intriguing and promising devices. Current topics include fast physical number generation using chaotic semiconductor lasers for secure communication, development of chaos, quantum-dot semiconductor lasers and quantum-cascade semiconductor lasers, and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. This fourth edition has been significantly expanded to reflect the latest developments. The fundamental theory of laser chaos and the chaotic dynamics in semiconductor lasers are discussed, but also for example the method of self-mixing interferometry in quantum-cascade lasers, which is indispensable in practical applications. Further, this edition covers chaos synchronization between two lasers and the application to secure optical communications. Another new topic is the consistency and synchronization property of many coupled semiconductor lasers in connection with the analogy of the dynamics between synaptic neurons and chaotic semiconductor lasers, which are compatible nonlinear dynamic elements. In particular, zero-lag synchronization between distant neurons plays a crucial role for information processing in the brain. Lastly, the book presents an application of the consistency and synchronization property in chaotic semiconductor lasers, namely a type of neuro-inspired information processing referred to as reservoir computing.

This timely publication presents a review of the most recent developments in the field of Semiconductor Disk Lasers. Covering a wide range of key topics, such as operating principles, thermal management, nonlinear frequency conversion, semiconductor materials, short pulse generation, electrical pumping, and laser applications, the book provides readers with a comprehensive account of the fundamentals and latest advances in this rich and diverse field. In so doing, it brings together contributions from world experts at major collaborative research centers in Europe and the USA. Each chapter includes a tutorial style introduction to the selected topic suitable for postgraduate students and scientists with a basic background in optics - making it of interest to a wide range of scientists, researchers, engineers and physicists working and interested in this rapidly developing field. It will also serve as additional reading for students in the field.

This book systematically introduces the single frequency semiconductor laser, which is widely used in many vital advanced technologies, such as the laser cooling of atoms and atomic clock, high-precision measurements and spectroscopy, coherent optical communications, and advanced optical sensors. It presents both the fundamentals and characteristics of semiconductor lasers, including basic F-P structure and monolithic integrated structures; interprets laser noises and their measurements; and explains mechanisms and technologies relating to the main aspects of single frequency lasers, including external cavity lasers, frequency stabilization technologies, frequency sweeping, optical phase locked loops, and so on. It paints a clear, physical picture of related technologies and reviews new developments in the field as well. It will be a useful reference to graduate students, researchers, and engineers in the field.

Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers Provides comprehensive coverage of the advancement of vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers Vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) emit coherent light from the infrared to the visible spectral range with high power output. Recent years have seen new device developments – such as the mode-locked integrated (MIXSEL) and the membrane external-cavity surface emitting laser (MECSEL) – expand the application of VECSELs to include laser cooling, spectroscopy, telecommunications, biophotonics, and laser-based displays and projectors. In Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers: VECSEL Technology and Applications, leading international research groups provide a comprehensive, fully up-to-date account of all fundamental and technological aspects of vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers. This unique book reviews the physics and technology of optically-pumped disk lasers and discusses the latest developments of VECSEL devices in different wavelength ranges. Topics include OP-VECSEL physics, continuous wave (CW) lasers, frequency doubling, carrier dynamics in SESAMs, and characterization of nonlinear lensing in VECSEL gain samples. This authoritative volume: Summarizes new concepts of DBR-free and MECSEL lasers for the first time Covers the mode-locking concept and its application Provides an overview of the emerging concept of self-mode locking Describes the development of next-generation OPS laser products Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers: VECSEL Technology and Applications is an invaluable resource for laser specialists, semiconductor physicists, optical industry professionals, spectroscopists, telecommunications engineers and industrial physicists.