The present invention provides a polarization dependency-free,
gain-saturated high function semiconductor optical amplifier and optical
module at industrially low cost. The gist of the present invention is to
structurally separate the optical signal propagating waveguide from
another optical waveguide which serves as a lasing optical cavity for
optical amplification in such a manner that the two optical waveguides
are formed in the same plane but not parallel to each other.