A laser amplifier, an optical system comprising such a laser amplifier and a method of forming such a laser amplifier for obtaining polarization independent amplification over a large wavelength region. The optical amplifier comprises an active region that is formed on a semiconductor substrate (6). The active layer has been formed through growing of quantum well layers (13, 14, 15, 16) alternating with barrier layers (12). The well layers comprise well layers of a first type (14, 15, 16) having tensile strain together with or without well layers of a second type having compressive strain (13). At least one of the well layers of one type (16) has been grown to a different width and/or with a different material composition than the other well layers of the same type (14, 15).