Segmented contact for current control in semiconductor lasers and optical amplifiers

A semiconductor laser system comprising:

• a semiconductor laser comprising:
• a front optical reflector,
• a back optical reflector,
• said front and back optical reflectors disposed with respect to each other to form a laser cavity therebetween,
• an active waveguide extending in a longitudinal direction between the front optical reflector and the back optical reflector, wherein said active waveguide comprises a gain layer configured to provide optical gain to light propagating within said active waveguide, said waveguide having a waveguide length along the longitudinal direction and a waveguide width along a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
• an electrode disposed with respect to the active waveguide said electrode comprise a plurality of separate electrically isolated longitudinal segments arranged in the longitudinal direction, wherein an individual longitudinal segment has a length along the longitudinal direction and a width along a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and at least one of the plurality of separate electrically isolated longitudinal segments includes a plurality of separate electrically isolated lateral segments arranged in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;
• and
• an electronic control system configured to provide individually controlled currents and/or voltages to individual longitudinal segments and individual lateral segments so as to increase uniformity of a longitudinal distribution of injection current provided to the gain layer.