An object of the present invention is to reduce errors caused by changes in delay time when driving a light-emitting element. A light-emission driving device (10) includes: a light-emission current detection unit (401) (12); a phase difference detection unit (300); and a delay unit (200). The light-emission current detection unit (401) (12) detects a light-emission current for causing a light-emitting element (20) to emit light, the light-emission current being supplied from a light-emission driving unit (110). The phase difference detection unit (300) detects a phase difference between the detected light-emission current and a drive signal for controlling the supply of the light-emission current in the light-emission driving unit (110). The delay unit (200) adjusts propagation delay of the drive signal in accordance with the detected phase difference, and supplies the adjusted drive signal to the light-emission driving unit (110) as a drive signal. The present invention can be applied to a light-emitting device of a camera, for example.

A laser beam generation device includes power supply units, LD modules, a combiner, and a control device. The LD modules receive currents from the power supply units, and output laser beams. The combiner collects the laser beams and outputs one laser beam. The control device generates control signals such that power of the laser beam becomes a laser output setting value and such that the currents become current command values. Phases of pulses of the control signals are shifted from each other by 60 degrees.

In a light-emitting device according to a first aspect of the present invention, a condenser is configured to smooth an output voltage of a switching power source. A voltage source of the light-emitting device is configured to adjust a voltage of the condenser. A processor of the light-emitting device is configured to turn on a light-emitting element of the light-emitting device. The processor is configured to measure the output voltage in a turning-on period of the light-emitting element and store the measured output voltage on the storage medium as a reference voltage. The processor is configured to turn off the light emitting element. The processor is configured to control a voltage output from the voltage source on the basis of the reference voltage stored on the storage medium so as to adjust the voltage of the condenser immediately before the light-emitting element is next turned on.

Systems, methods, and devices are described for in-situ testing of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), VCSEL arrays or laser diodes (each a laser). Testing may comprise bias voltage measurements of one or more lasers. Embodiments may comprise one of a laser, a driver circuit providing a bipolar drive to the laser, and a sensing circuit to measure and/or monitor damage or degradation of the laser. The bipolar drive may comprise a pulsed forward bias output configured to produce a light output during an on-time of the laser, and a pulsed reverse bias output during an off-time of the pulsed forward bias output. The pulsed outputs may comprise a variable, chirped frequency. One or more of a reverse leakage current, and a junction temperature may be measured to monitor a state of health of the laser.

A pulsed laser diode driver includes an inductor having a first terminal configured to receive a source voltage. A source capacitor has a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the inductor to provide the source voltage. A bypass switch has a drain node connected to a second terminal of the inductor and to a first terminal of a bypass capacitor. A laser diode switch has a drain node connected to the second terminal of the inductor. A laser diode has an anode connected to a source node of the laser diode switch and a cathode connected to a bias voltage node. The laser diode switch and the bypass switch control a current flow through the inductor to produce a high-current pulse through the laser diode, the high-current pulse corresponding to a peak current of a resonant waveform developed at the anode of the laser diode.

A driver circuit may include a first inductor with a first terminal coupled to a first voltage terminal and a first switch with a first and a second terminal. The first terminal of the first switch is coupled to a second terminal of the first inductor via a first node and the second terminal of the first switch is coupled to a second voltage terminal. Moreover, the driver circuit may include a diode with a first terminal coupled to the first node, an output terminal, and a first capacitor with a first electrode coupled to a second terminal of the diode and a second electrode coupled to the output terminal.

Exposure with sufficient optical energy is enabled while avoiding temperature rise of laser light emitting elements. Therefore, a light source device includes the plurality of laser light emitting elements and a drive unit. The drive unit drives each of the laser light emitting elements to perform a plurality of light emissions in one frame period in an image sensor that receives and captures light emitted from the plurality of laser light emitting elements and reflected by a subject.

A sensor system includes an optical aperture, a light source configured to generate a light pulse along a first optical path, a reflective surface configured to reflect the light pulse from the first optical path to a second optical path for passing through the optical aperture, a beam steering device positioned in the optical aperture and configured to steer the light pulse along different directions to one or more objects in an angle of view of the sensor system, a detector configured to receive a reflected light pulse and convert the reflected light pulse into an electrical signal, the reflected light pulse being reflected back from the one or more objects and passed through the beam steer device, and a spatial filtering device positioned between the beam steering device and the detector to block undesirable light in both the light pulse and the reflected light pulse.

A pulsed laser diode driver includes an inductor having a first terminal configured to receive a source voltage. A source capacitor has a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the inductor to provide the source voltage. A bypass switch has a drain node connected to a second terminal of the inductor and to a first terminal of a bypass capacitor. A laser diode switch has a drain node connected to the second terminal of the inductor. A laser diode has an anode connected to a source node of the laser diode switch and a cathode connected to a bias voltage node. The laser diode switch and the bypass switch control a current flow through the inductor to produce a high-current pulse through the laser diode, the high-current pulse corresponding to a peak current of a resonant waveform developed at the anode of the laser diode.

A laser beam irradiation unit of a laser processing apparatus includes a first pulsed laser oscillator that oscillates a pulsed laser having a wavelength of 9 to 11 μm and a pulse width of 5 ns or less, a CO.sub.2 amplifier that amplifies a pulsed laser beam emitted from the first pulsed laser oscillator, and a condenser that focuses the pulsed laser beam amplified by the CO.sub.2 amplifier on a workpiece held on the chuck table.