Nitride laser diode with engineered non-uniform alloy composition in the n-cladding layer

A laser diode comprising:

• a p-cladding layer;
• an n-cladding layer including at least a first portion and a second portion,
• wherein the first portion maintains material quality of the laser diode, wherein the first portion is substantially lattice matched to a substrate, and
• the second portion pulls a mode from the p-cladding layer, wherein the first portion and the second portion are compressively strained layers;
• a waveguide coupled to the n-cladding layer;
• and
• a light-emitting region coupled to the waveguide, wherein the light-emitting region is located between the n-cladding layer and the p-cladding layer.

A laser diode comprising:

• an n-cladding layer that includes an alloy material, the n-cladding layer including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is thicker than the second portion, wherein the first portion includes higher aluminum content than the second portion, wherein the first portion is substantially lattice matched to a substrate, wherein the first portion and the second portion are compressively strained layers;
• a p-cladding layer that includes the alloy material;
• a waveguide coupled to the n-cladding layer;
• and
• a light-emitting region coupled to the waveguide, wherein the light-emitting region is located between the n-cladding layer and the p-cladding layer.

A laser diode comprising:

• a light-emitting region
• an electron blocking layer (EBL) above the light-emitting region
• an upper waveguide layer above the light-emitting region;
• a p-cladding layer above the upper waveguide layer
• a lower waveguide layer below the light-emitting region;
• an n-cladding layer below the lower waveguide layer including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is thicker than the second portion,
• wherein the first portion maintains material quality of the laser diode, wherein the first portion is substantially lattice matched to a substrate;
• and
• the second portion pulls an electric field profile from the p-cladding layer, wherein pulling the electric field profile from the p-cladding layer includes pulling a light intensity from the p-cladding toward the light-emitting region, wherein the first portion and the second portion are compressively strained layers.