Monolithic high density arrays of independently addressable semiconductor laser sources

Claim 1

An independently addressable semiconductor laser array comprising a plurality of semiconductor layers with at least two lasing elements disposed in spatially separated optical cavities, said layers including an active region for light wave generation and propagation under lasing conditions, an impurity induced into regions laterally adjacent to and between said spatially separated optical cavities and penetrating through said active region therein causing at least a partial interdiffusion of elemental constituents of said active region and at least one adjacent semiconductor layer to produce disordered alloy regions, the depth of said disordered regions sufficient to optically isolate said lasing elements so as not to be in phase locked condition, barrier means formed between said lasing elements and extending into said array a sufficient distance to electrically isolate said lasing elements, means to independently pump said lasing elements, the combination of said disordered alloy regions and said barrier means providing for close proximity of said lasing elements with minimal electrical, optical and thermal crosstalk relative to the independent operation of said lasing elements wherein the center to center spacing of said lasing elements is in the range of 3-10 μm and the cross connection impedance between said lasing elements is sufficiently high to prevent detrimental thermal and optical crosstalk.