The basic device structure consists of a rectangular parallelepiped of a direct bandgap semiconductor, usually a III–V compound semiconductor such as GaAs, incorporat-ing a forward-biased, heavily doped p–n junction to provide the optical gain medium in a resonant optical cavity, as. The basic device structure consists of a rectangular parallelepiped of a direct bandgap semiconductor, usually a III–V compound semiconductor such as GaAs, incorporat-ing a forward-biased, heavily doped p–n junction to provide the optical gain medium in a resonant optical cavity, as. This chapter starts with a brief recap of the fundamental aspects and elements of diode lasers, including relevant features of the standard device types, with an emphasis on the advantages of quantum heterostructures for their effective use as active regions in the lasers. Common laser material. A laser diode (LD, also injection laser diode or ILD or semiconductor laser or diode laser) is a semiconductor device similar to a light-emitting diode in which a diode pumped directly with electrical current can create lasing conditions at the diode's junction. These devices are capable of producing an intense laser ray with uniformly sized light waves. In this article, we'll learn about their development, working, types, and applications, and how these standardized gadgets work. What is a Laser Diode? How Laser Beam.