Alight emitting device (A) includes a laser light source (1) that emits laser light (100), a housing (2A) that includes a bottom wall (3) and a side wall, and a first wavelength converter (20) provided on the side wall, the first wavelength converter (20) containing a first phosphor. The bottom wall of the housing is irradiated with the laser light emitted from the laser light source, and the first phosphor is excited by diffused light of the laser light diffused by the bottom wall. With such a configuration, the light emitting device (A) improves color uniformity and chromaticity flexibility while increasing power density of output light.

A phosphor element includes: a phosphor part having an incident face of the excitation light, an opposing face opposing the incident face, and a side face, the phosphor part converting at least a part of the excitation light incident onto the incident face into the fluorescence and emitting the fluorescence from the incident face; an integral low refractive index layer on the side face and opposing face of the phosphor part and having a refractive index lower than that of the phosphor part; and an integral reflection film covering a surface of the low refractive index layer. The area of the incident face of the phosphor part is larger than the area of the opposing face.

A light source device includes a light source section configured to emit first light, a light guide body configured to propagate a part of the first light, a wavelength conversion section including a phosphor which is excited by another part of the first light and transmitted though the light guide body, and emits second light, and a light combining section configured to combine the part of the first and second lights together. The light guide body includes a first and a second side surface opposed to each other, and the wavelength conversion section includes a third and a fourth side surface opposed to each other. The light source section is disposed at a position opposed to the first side surface, and the light guide body and wavelength conversion section are disposed in parallel to each other so that the second and third side surfaces are opposed to each other.

A light source device includes a light source section configured to emit first light, a light guide body configured to propagate a part of the first light, a wavelength conversion section including a phosphor which is excited by another part of the first light and transmitted though the light guide body, and emits second light, and a light combining section configured to combine the part of the first and second lights together. The light guide body includes a first and a second side surface opposed to each other, and the wavelength conversion section includes a third and a fourth side surface opposed to each other. The light source section is disposed at a position opposed to the first side surface, and the light guide body and wavelength conversion section are disposed in parallel to each other so that the second and third side surfaces are opposed to each other.

A lighting apparatus includes: a laser light source emitting laser light; a liquid crystal device that transmits the laser light from the laser light source and diffracts the laser light; a phosphor unit that receives laser light from the liquid crystal device, converts a wavelength of the laser light to emit illumination light, the phosphor unit including a first phosphor of a first color and a second phosphor of a second color differing from the first color. The liquid crystal device controls an angle of the laser light and selects one of the first phosphor or the second phosphor.

An optoelectronic semiconductor light source includes a semiconductor chip configured to emit primary radiation, a Bragg mirror, and a luminescence conversion element configured to convert at least part of the primary radiation into secondary radiation having a longer wavelength, wherein the Bragg mirror is arranged between the semiconductor chip and the luminescence conversion element, the Bragg mirror is reflective for the secondary radiation and transmissive for the primary radiation, the Bragg mirror includes reflector layers of at least three different materials with different refractive indices, the Bragg mirror includes at least two different kinds of layer pairs, each kind of layer pairs being made up of reflective layers of two different materials, and the different kinds of layer pairs having different Brewster angles for p-polarized radiation.

An optoelectronic semiconductor light source includes a semiconductor chip configured to emit primary radiation, a Bragg mirror, and a luminescence conversion element configured to convert at least part of the primary radiation into secondary radiation having a longer wavelength, wherein the Bragg mirror is arranged between the semiconductor chip and the luminescence conversion element, the Bragg mirror is reflective for the secondary radiation and transmissive for the primary radiation, the Bragg mirror includes reflector layers of at least three different materials with different refractive indices, the Bragg mirror includes at least two different kinds of layer pairs, each kind of layer pairs being made up of reflective layers of two different materials, and the different kinds of layer pairs having different Brewster angles for p-polarized radiation.

To provide a phosphor wheel capable of restraining vibration caused by a driving unit for rotatably driving a wheel and reducing noise in a high frequency band. The phosphor wheel includes: a wheel substrate that has a surface on which a fluorescent material is provided; a driving unit that rotates the wheel substrate; a support portion that supports the driving unit and is fixed to a housing; and a buffer member that is provided to fill a space between the support portion and a part of the housing.

An illuminator includes a first light source unit that includes a first light source region, a second light source unit, and a light ray flux adjusting system. The first light source region outputs parallelized first color light. The first light source unit outputs first light containing the first color light. The second light source unit outputs parallelized second light thicker than the first light. The second light is formed of second color light having a color different from the color of the first color light. The light ray flux adjusting system is in the optical path of the first light. The difference in thickness between the first light and the second light on the downstream of the light ray flux adjusting system is smaller than the difference in thickness between the first light and the second light on the upstream of the light ray flux adjusting system.

In an embodiment an illumination system includes an illumination source that emits a primary electromagnetic radiation having a spectrum of wavelengths and an energy conversion layer that converts at least a portion of the primary electromagnetic radiation to a secondary electromagnetic radiation having a different spectrum of wavelengths than the primary electromagnetic radiation. The energy conversion layer may have a viewing surface, a bottom surface opposed to the viewing surface, and an edge surface normal to the viewing surface and the bottom surface. The primary electromagnetic radiation may be incident on the edge surface of the energy conversion layer.