A semiconductor laser, such as a vertical cavity, surface emitting laser (VCSEL) is coupled to an optical fiber. The other end of the optical fiber has a reflector, so as to provide a fiber-extended cavity for the VCSEL. Such a construction is useful for providing modal stability to the VCSEL or for forming a mode-locked VCSEL. The optical fiber may be a graded index fiber. In such a case, the fiber length may be selected to have an integral number of quarter pitch lengths. The fiber may be doped with an excitable species and lies within a fiber laser cavity. A semiconductor laser may pump the fiber laser, yielding an emission wavelength beyond the scope of the conventional semiconductor laser.