SEMICONDUCTOR LASER

To provide a semiconductor laser generating ultrashort pulses.SOLUTION: A semiconductor laser includes: an optical resonator that has a first compound semiconductor layer containing n-type impurities, a second compound semiconductor layer containing p-type impurities, and a light-emitting layer provided between the first compound semiconductor layer and the second compound semiconductor layer; and pulse injection means that injects excitation energy over sub-nanosecond durations into the optical resonator. The light-emitting layer has an at least five-period multiple quantum well structure, and generates optical pulses having a pulse width shorter than 2.5 times the photon lifetime in the optical resonator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6 【課題】超短パルスを発生する半導体レーザを提供する。【解決手段】ｎ型不純物を含有する第１化合物半導体層と、ｐ型不純物を含有する第２化合物半導体層と、第１化合物半導体層および第２化合物半導体層の間に設けられる発光層と、を有する光共振器と、光共振器に対して、サブナノ秒の時間幅で励起エネルギーを注入するパルス注入手段と、を備え、発光層は、５周期以上の多重量子井戸構造を有し、光共振器の光子寿命の２．５倍よりも短いパルス幅で光パルスを発生する半導体レーザ。【選択図】図６