A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array may comprise a first subset of VCSELs of a plurality of VCSELs, and a second subset of VCSELs of the plurality of VCSELs. One or more first beams to be emitted by the first subset of VCSELs, when the VCSEL array is powered, and one or more second beams to be emitted by the second subset of VCSELs, when the VCSEL array is powered, may have different patterns of areas of energy intensity. The different patterns of areas of energy intensity may include respective areas of high energy intensity and respective areas of low energy intensity.

Optical devices and methods of manufacturing and operating such optical devices. In an embodiment, an optical device includes a substrate, a multi-layer structure having a first surface in contact with a first surface of the substrate, a first mirror disposed over a second surface of the multi-layer structure, a second mirror disposed over a second surface of the substrate, an intermediate mirror within the multi-layer structure, and an optical gain structure within the multi-layer structure. The device may include a first optically resonant cavity within the multi-layer structure, bounded by the first mirror and the intermediate mirror, where the first optically resonant cavity includes the optical gain structure. The device may further include a second optically resonant cavity, bounded by the first and second mirrors, where the second optically resonant cavity includes the first optically resonant cavity, the second optically reflective layer, and the substrate.

Provided is a laser device including a lower reflective layer, a laser cavity comprising an active layer disposed on the lower reflective layer, an upper reflective layer disposed on the laser cavity, and a blocking structure disposed between the laser cavity and the upper reflective layer, in which the blocking structure includes a first intermediate layer disposed on the laser cavity, a blocking layer disposed on the first intermediate layer and including a through-hole, and a second intermediate layer disposed on the blocking layer.

A laser chip including a plurality of stripes is disclosed, where a laser stripe can be grown with an initial optical gain profile, and its optical gain profile can be shifted by using an intermixing process. In this manner, multiple laser stripes can be formed on the same laser chip from the same epitaxial wafer, where at least one laser stripe can have an optical gain profile shifted relative to another laser stripe. For example, each laser stripe can have a shifted optical gain profile relative to its neighboring laser stripe, thereby each laser stripe can emit light with a different range of wavelengths. The laser chip can emit light across a wide range of wavelengths. Examples of the disclosure further includes different regions of a given laser stripe having different intermixing amounts.

A semiconductor vertical resonant cavity light source includes an upper and lower mirror that define a vertical resonant cavity. An active region is within the cavity for light generation between the upper and lower mirror. At least one cavity spacer region is between the active region and the upper mirror or lower mirror. The cavity includes an inner mode confinement region and an outer current blocking region. An index guide in the inner mode confinement region is between the cavity spacer region and the upper or lower mirror. The index guide and outer current blocking region each include a lower and upper epitaxial material layer thereon with an epitaxial interface region in between. At least a top surface of the lower material layer includes aluminum in the interface region throughout a full area of an active part of the vertical light source.

A semiconductor device according to the present technology includes a first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer; an active layer; and a transparent conductive layer. The first semiconductor layer has a first conductivity type, a stripe-shaped ridge being formed on a surface of the first semiconductor layer. A second width is 0.99-1.0 times a first width, a third width is 0.96-1.0 times the second width, and the transparent conductive layer has a uniform thickness within a range of 90% to 110% in a range of the third width, the first width being a width in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the ridge, the second width being a width in the direction on a surface of the transparent conductive layer on a side of the ridge, the third width being a width in the direction on a surface opposite to the ridge of the transparent conductive layer.

A semiconductor vertical light source includes upper and lower mirrors with an active region in between, an inner mode confinement region, and an outer current blocking region that includes a common epitaxial layer including an epitaxially regrown interface between the active region and upper mirror. A conducting channel including acceptors is in the inner mode confinement region. The current blocking region includes a first impurity doped region with donors between the epitaxially regrown interface and active region, and a second impurity doped region with acceptors between the first doped region and lower mirror. The outer current blocking region provides a PNPN current blocking region that includes the upper mirror or a p-type layer, first doped region, second doped region, and lower mirror or an n-type layer. The first and second impurity doped region force current flow into the conducting channel during normal operation of the light source.

Optical devices and methods of manufacturing and operating such optical devices. In an embodiment, an optical device includes a substrate, a multi-layer structure having a first surface in contact with a first surface of the substrate, a first mirror disposed over a second surface of the multi-layer structure, a second mirror disposed over a second surface of the substrate, an intermediate mirror within the multi-layer structure, and an optical gain structure within the multi-layer structure. The device may include a first optically resonant cavity within the multi-layer structure, bounded by the first mirror and the intermediate mirror, where the first optically resonant cavity includes the optical gain structure. The device may further include a second optically resonant cavity, bounded by the first and second mirrors, where the second optically resonant cavity includes the first optically resonant cavity, the second optically reflective layer, and the substrate.

A light-emitting component includes a light-emitting element, a driving thyristor, and a light-absorbing layer. The light-emitting element emits light of a predetermined wavelength. The driving thyristor causes the light-emitting element to emit light or causes an amount of light emitted by the light-emitting element to increase, upon entering an on-state. The light-absorbing layer is disposed between the light-emitting element and the driving thyristor such that the light-emitting element and the driving thyristor are stacked, and absorbs light emitted by the driving thyristor.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array may comprise a first subset of VCSELs of a plurality of VCSELs, and a second subset of VCSELs of the plurality of VCSELs. One or more first beams to be emitted by the first subset of VCSELs, when the VCSEL array is powered, and one or more second beams to be emitted by the second subset of VCSELs, when the VCSEL array is powered, may have different patterns of areas of energy intensity. The different patterns of areas of energy intensity may include respective areas of high energy intensity and respective areas of low energy intensity.