Since Fall of 1993, when we completed the manuscript of our book "Semi- conductor-Laser Physics" W.W. Chow, S.W. Koch, and M. Sargent III (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1994)] many new and exciting developments have taken place in the world of semiconductor lasers. Novel laser and ampli- fier structures were developed, and others, for example, the VCSEL (vertical cavity surface emitting laser) and monolithic MOPA (master oscillator power amplifier),...