A
semiconductor diode laser having a broad vertical
waveguide and a broad lateral
waveguide is disclosed emitting
laser-light in a single vertical mode and a single lateral mode
narrow beam. The vertical
waveguide comprises a coupled cavity structure, wherein light, generated in the
active medium placed in the first cavity leaks into the second cavity and returns back.
Phase matching conditions govern the selection of a single vertical mode. A multi-stripe lateral waveguide comprises preferably a lateral photonic band
crystal with a lateral optical defect created by selected pumping of multistripes. This approach allows the selection of a single lateral mode having a higher optical confinement factor and / or a lower
absorption loss and / or a lower leakage loss compared to the rest lateral optical
modes. This enables a single lateral mode lasing from a broad area field coupled
laser array. A laser
system comprised of multiple field coupled laser arrays on a single
wafer and a set of external mirrors enables an ultra-broad field coupled laser bar emitting a coherent
laser light in a single vertical optical mode and a single lateral optical mode. A laser
system comprised of multiple ultra-broad field coupled laser bars on different wafers and a set of external mirrors enables an ultra-broad field coupled laser stack emitting coherent
laser light in a single vertical optical mode and a single lateral optical mode. This allows realization of ultrahigh power ultrahigh brightness laser systems based on
semiconductor diode lasers.