A light-emitting element includes a mesa structure in which a first compound semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, an active layer, and a second compound semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type are disposed in that order, wherein at least one of the first compound semiconductor layer and the second compound semiconductor layer has a current constriction region surrounded by an insulation region extending inward from a sidewall portion of the mesa structure; a wall structure disposed so as to surround the mesa structure; at least one bridge structure connecting the mesa structure and the wall structure, the wall structure and the bridge structure each having the same layer structure as the portion of the mesa structure in which the insulation region is provided; a first electrode; and a second electrode disposed on a top face of the wall structure.

A laminate includes a diffraction layer that is optically transmissive and includes a diffraction part with a plurality of diffraction units being repetition of a diffraction unit in a direction extending the diffraction layer, each diffraction unit including at least one diffraction element with a reflective diffraction grating; and an absorption layer that is optically transmissive with a plurality of absorption parts for at least part of visible light, the absorption layer facing the diffraction layer with light passing between the diffraction layer and the absorption layer. The laminate has an observation side opposite where the diffraction layer faces the absorption layer; the diffraction layer has a surface serving as a front surface opposite to the surface facing the absorption layer; and in plan view perpendicular to the front surface of the diffraction layer, each of the absorption parts aligns with one of the diffraction elements.

A semiconductor light emitting element that can form a useful beam pattern is provided. A semiconductor laser element LD includes an active layer 4, a pair of cladding layers 2 and 7 between which the active layer 4 is interposed, and a phase modulation layer 6 optically coupled to the active layer 4. The phase modulation layer 6 includes a base layer 6A and different refractive index regions 6B that are different in refractive index from the base layer 6A. The different refractive index regions 6B desirably arranged in the phase modulation layer 6 enable emission of laser light including a dark line with no zero-order light.

A surface emitting laser includes a conductive substrate, a metal bonding layer, a laser structure layer, an epitaxial semiconductor reflection layer, and an electrode layer. The laser structure layer has an epitaxial current-blocking layer having a current opening. Currents are transmitting through the current opening. The epitaxial current-blocking layer is grown by a semiconductor epitaxy process to confine the range of the currents to form electric fields.

A method for manufacturing a surface emitting laser made of a group-III nitride semiconductor by an MOVPE method includes: (a) of growing a first cladding layer of a first conductive type on a substrate; (b) of growing a first optical guide layer of the first conductive type on the first cladding layer; (c) of forming holes having a two-dimensional periodicity in a plane parallel to the first optical guide layer, in the first optical guide layer by etching; (d) supplying a gas containing a group-III material and a nitrogen source and performing growth to form recessed portions having a facet of a predetermined plane direction above openings of the holes, thereby closing the openings of the holes; and (e) of planarizing the recessed portions by mass transport, after the openings of the holes have been closed, wherein after said the planarizing, at least one side surface of the holes is a {10-10} facet.

The present semiconductor light emitting element is a semiconductor light emitting element including an active layer, an upper cladding layer and a lower cladding layer that sandwich the active layer, and a phase modulation layer optically coupled to the active layer, in which the phase modulation layer includes a basic layer and a plurality of different refractive index regions that are different in refractive index from the basic layer, and the plurality of different refractive index regions are disposed so as to form a pattern in a region outside a light line on a reciprocal lattice space in the phase modulation layer.

The present semiconductor light emitting element is a semiconductor light emitting element including an active layer, an upper cladding layer and a lower cladding layer that sandwich the active layer, and a phase modulation layer optically coupled to the active layer, in which the phase modulation layer includes a basic layer and a plurality of different refractive index regions that are different in refractive index from the basic layer, and the plurality of different refractive index regions are disposed so as to form a pattern in a region outside a light line on a reciprocal lattice space in the phase modulation layer.

A bound states in the continuum (BIC) surface emitting laser includes a light emitter configured to generate BIC light waves. The laser also includes an array of holes with equal radii extending through the light emitter such that light emitted by the light emitter upon receipt of power is emitted as a coherent vortex beam at an angle to a surface normal of the light emitter that is determined at least in part by the radius of the holes in the array.

The invention describes a laser sensor module comprising at least one Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (100) and at least one driving circuit (120). The driving circuit (120) is adapted to provide electrical energy to the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (100) such that the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (100) emits laser pulses (345) with a pulse length (356) of less than 100 ns and a duty cycle of less than 5% in comparison to a continuous laser emission. The driving circuit (120) is further adapted to provide additional energy to the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (100) at least 100 ns prior to at least a part of the laser pulses (345) such that the part of the laser pulses (345) are emitted under defined optical conditions. The invention further describes a distance detection device comprising the laser sensor module and a method of driving the laser sensor module. The additional energy is preferably provided by means of a current pre-pulse (335) which is applied to the V(E)CSEL prior to preferably each laser pulse (345). The current pre-pulse is preferably arranged such that no laser light is emitted by means of the V(E)CSEL. The V(E)CSEL are enabled to emit the laser pulses (345) under defined optical conditions such that the time of emission and the pulse shape of the laser pulses (345) is well defined. Well defined time of emission and the pulse shape of the laser pulses (345) enable a reliable detection of reflected laser light (117) which corresponds to the emission of the respective laser pulse (345).

A folded lasing cavity comprises at least one bend. The folded lasing cavity is disposed on and configured to emit light along a substrate-parallel plane. An etched facet is on an emitting end of the folded lasing cavity and an etched mirror is on another end of the folding lasing cavity. An etched shaping mirror redirects light received from the etched facet in a direction normal to the substrate-parallel plane.