The invention provides a fluorescent member which has high thermal conductivity and thus can prevent an increase in temperature of a phosphor layer and can maintain fluorescent performance even when irradiated with source light having a high intensity, and provides a light-emitting device having such a member. A reflection-type wavelength converting member 100 converts light with a specific wavelength to light with other wavelength and also reflects the light on a reflection surface to emit the light as illumination light. The wavelength converting member 100 includes a substrate 110 including an inorganic material, and a phosphor layer 120 disposed on the substrate 110 and including phosphor particles 122 that absorb light and emit converted light and a translucent ceramic 121 that binds the phosphor particles 122 to one another. The ratio of the thickness of the phosphor layer 120 to the average particle size of the phosphor particles 122 is less than 30. The reflection surface on which the converted light is reflected is a surface of the substrate 110 or a surface of a reflector adjacent to the wavelength converting member.

The invention provides a fluorescent member which has high thermal conductivity and thus can prevent an increase in temperature of a phosphor layer and can maintain fluorescent performance even when irradiated with source light having a high intensity, and provides a light-emitting device having such a member. A reflection-type wavelength converting member 100 converts light with a specific wavelength to light with other wavelength and also reflects the light on a reflection surface to emit the light as illumination light. The wavelength converting member 100 includes a substrate 110 including an inorganic material, and a phosphor layer 120 disposed on the substrate 110 and including phosphor particles 122 that absorb light and emit converted light and a translucent ceramic 121 that binds the phosphor particles 122 to one another. The ratio of the thickness of the phosphor layer 120 to the average particle size of the phosphor particles 122 is less than 30. The reflection surface on which the converted light is reflected is a surface of the substrate 110 or a surface of a reflector adjacent to the wavelength converting member.

An optical device includes a metal reflective layer substantially made of a metal material, a first light transmissive layer disposed on the metal reflective layer, an optical multilayer reflective film disposed on the first light transmissive layer and including a plurality of sublayers stacked on each other and having different refractive indexes, and a wavelength converting layer disposed on the optical multilayer reflective film and containing a fluorescent material capable of absorbing incident excitation light and generating fluorescent light having a lower energy. The wavelength converting layer is capable of generating mixed light containing the excitation light and the fluorescent light in response to irradiation with the excitation light.

An optical device includes a metal reflective layer substantially made of a metal material, a first light transmissive layer disposed on the metal reflective layer, an optical multilayer reflective film disposed on the first light transmissive layer and including a plurality of sublayers stacked on each other and having different refractive indexes, and a wavelength converting layer disposed on the optical multilayer reflective film and containing a fluorescent material capable of absorbing incident excitation light and generating fluorescent light having a lower energy. The wavelength converting layer is capable of generating mixed light containing the excitation light and the fluorescent light in response to irradiation with the excitation light.

A fluorescence emitting module includes: a fluorescent substrate consisting essentially of a sintered fluorescent substance that includes a fluorescent material; and a rotator that rotates the fluorescent substrate about an axis extending in a thickness direction of the fluorescent substrate.

A flashlight including a lens assembly having an adjusting element; and a light source assembly provided at one side of the lens assembly. The light source assembly includes a first light source, a second light source, an excitation element, and a light path adjusting element. Light emitted from the first light source irradiates the excitation element to generate first exciting light, and light emitted from the second light source irradiates the excitation element to generate second exciting light. The first exciting light and the second exciting light sequentially pass through the light path adjusting element and the adjusting element, and are outputted simultaneously.

A flashlight including a lens assembly having an adjusting element; and a light source assembly provided at one side of the lens assembly. The light source assembly includes a first light source, a second light source, an excitation element, and a light path adjusting element. Light emitted from the first light source irradiates the excitation element to generate first exciting light, and light emitted from the second light source irradiates the excitation element to generate second exciting light. The first exciting light and the second exciting light sequentially pass through the light path adjusting element and the adjusting element, and are outputted simultaneously.

A light emitting device of the present invention includes a light-emitting section for generating fluorescence by receiving a laser beam, and a light irradiation unit for irradiating a light irradiated surface of the light emitting section with a laser beam that increases regularly in beam diameter in a direction in which the laser beam travels.

The invention describes a laser-based light source comprising: a laser being arranged to emit laser light, a ceramic light converter being adapted to convert a part of the laser light to converted light, a light outcoupling dome with a base area of at least 2.5*10.sup.5 m.sup.2 comprising a material with a thermal conductivity of more than 25 W/(m*K), wherein a bonding area of the light outcoupling dome of at least 8*10.sup.3 m.sup.2 is adhesive-free bonded to the ceramic light converter, wherein the base area is at least 25 times larger than an area of the ceramic light converter being arranged to be illuminated by the laser, a substrate thermally coupled to the light outcoupling dome,
wherein the light outcoupling dome comprises a reflective structure being arranged such that converted light emitted with an angle larger than =65 with respect to an optical axis of the light outcoupling dome is reflected back in the direction of the ceramic light converter. The invention further relates to a vehicle headlight comprising such a laser-based light source.

The invention describes a laser-based light source comprising: a laser being arranged to emit laser light, a ceramic light converter being adapted to convert a part of the laser light to converted light, a light outcoupling dome with a base area of at least 2.5*10.sup.5 m.sup.2 comprising a material with a thermal conductivity of more than 25 W/(m*K), wherein a bonding area of the light outcoupling dome of at least 8*10.sup.3 m.sup.2 is adhesive-free bonded to the ceramic light converter, wherein the base area is at least 25 times larger than an area of the ceramic light converter being arranged to be illuminated by the laser, a substrate thermally coupled to the light outcoupling dome,
wherein the light outcoupling dome comprises a reflective structure being arranged such that converted light emitted with an angle larger than =65 with respect to an optical axis of the light outcoupling dome is reflected back in the direction of the ceramic light converter. The invention further relates to a vehicle headlight comprising such a laser-based light source.