Chaos in semiconductor lasers has developed into a rapidly advancing field that bridges nonlinear dynamics and modern photonic technologies. Owing to their intrinsic nonlinearity and strong carrier-photon interactions， semiconductor lasers serve as an ideal platform for the generation and control of deterministic chaos. This review summarizes the fundamental physical mechanisms underlying chaos generation in semiconductor lasers， including external perturbations and intrinsic nonlinear interactions. Various configurations for inducing chaotic dynamics， such as optical feedback， optical injection， and optoelectronic feedback， are discussed in detail. Recent advances in free-running chaotic lasers and integrated photonic platforms are also highlighted. Furthermore， emerging applications in secure optical communication， high-speed random number generation， and chaos-based sensing are presented. Finally， current challenges and future directions are outlined， underscoring the significant potential of semiconductor laser chaos for next-generation photonic systems. This work aims to offer a coherent and comprehensive perspective on the development and prospects of chaos in semiconductor lasers.