A light emitting element according to the present disclosure includes a first light reflecting layer 41, a laminated structure 20, and a second light reflecting layer 42 laminated to each other. The laminated structure 20 includes a first compound semiconductor layer 21, a light emitting layer 23, and a second compound semiconductor layer 22 laminated to each other from a side of the first light reflecting layer. Light from the laminated structure 20 is emitted to an outside via the first light reflecting layer 41 or the second light reflecting layer 42. The first light reflecting layer 41 has a structure in which at least two types of thin films 41A and 41B are alternately laminated to each other in plural numbers. A film thickness modulating layer 80 is provided between the laminated structure 20 and the first light reflecting layer 41.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) has a shortened overall laser cavity by combining the gain section with a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). The overall cavity length can be contracted by placing gain structures inside the DBR. This generally applies to a number of semiconductor material systems and wavelength bands, but this scheme is very well suited to the AlGaAs/GaAs material system with strained InGaAs quantum wells as a gain medium, for example.

A light source includes a substrate with a first surface and an opposite second surface. An epitaxial layer is positioned on the first surface of the substrate. The light source also includes at least one light generator in the epitaxial layer positioned such that an optical signal transmitted thereby is directed toward the substrate. A diffuser is positioned on the second surface of the substrate, and at least one monitor photodetector is positioned in the epitaxial layer in an arrangement configured to receive a portion of the optical signal which is reflected by the diffuser. In one form, the light generator may include a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL).

An oxide-confined vertical cavity surface emitting laser including a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) wherein the layers of the (DBR) includes a multi-section layer consisting of a first section having a moderately high aluminum composition, an second section which is an insertion having a low aluminum composition, and a third section which is an oxide-confined aperture formed by partial oxidation of a layer having a high aluminum composition (95% and above). A difference in aluminum composition between a high value in the aperture layer and a moderately high value in the first section prevents non-desirable oxidation of the first section from the mesa side while the aperture layer is being oxidized. A low aluminum composition in the second section prevents non-desirable oxidation in the vertical direction of the layer adjacent to the targeted aperture layer.

An optomechanical laser includes: a basal member; a mechanical transducer; a laser disposed on the mechanical transducer, the laser being displaced along the displacement axis in response to a displacement of the mechanical transducer relative to the basal member; a mirror disposed on the armature in optical communication with the laser and opposing the laser; the armature disposed on the basal member and rigidly connecting the mirror to the basal member such that the mirror and the armature move in synchrony with the basal member, and the armature provides a substantially constant distance between the basal member and the mirror; and a cavity comprising: the laser; the mirror; and a cavity length between the laser and the mirror that changes in response to displacement of the laser according to the displacement of the mechanical transducer relative to the basal member, the optomechanical laser providing laser light.

A lidar device, comprising a laser generator and a lidar unit, is provided and operated with frequency modulation continuous wave. The laser generator comprises an amplifier unit; and a reflector unit connected with at least one end of the amplifier unit. The amplifier unit comprises at least one first luminous gain area and at least one second luminous gain area. The first luminous gain area is operated in a saturated region with a first current source applied. The second luminous gain area is operated in a linear region with a second current source applied. Thus, a laser is generated and outputted to the lidar unit. The laser generator is operated with the luminous gain areas of the amplifier unit pushed into the saturated region to suppress intensity modulation and fix power. Even if current changes, frequency drifts only with continuity and adjustability achieved and no mode hop happened.

An array of surface-emitting gain chips includes a common substrate, plural gain chips formed on the common substrate, each configured to generate a light beam, plural optical couplers, each located on a top surface of a corresponding gain chip of the plural gain chips, plural optical fibers, each connected with one end to a corresponding optical coupler of the plurality of optical couplers, an array wide optical coupler connected to another end of the plural optical fibers, and a single optical fiber connected to the array wide optical coupler and configured to output the combined light beams.

A laser device includes: a substrate formed from material transparent at a laser wavelength; a first reflecting layer to reflect at least some incident radiation at the laser wavelength; a layer including a gain medium for providing stimulated emission of radiation at the laser wavelength, and positioned between the first reflecting layer and the substrate; a second reflecting layer on an opposite side of the substrate from the first reflecting layer to reflect at least some incident radiation at the laser wavelength; a spatial light modulator in an optical cavity comprising the first and second reflecting layers, and comprising an array of elements each corresponding to a different path for radiation in the optical cavity; and a computer controller that, during operation, causes the spatial light modulator to selectively vary an intensity or phase of radiation in the optical cavity to provide variable transverse spatial mode output of the radiation.

A light-emitting device comprising VCSELs formed in a die. The VCSEL distribution is characterized by an essentially linear decrease in VCSEL density over the die from a highest VCSEL density in a first die region to a lowest VCSEL density in another die region. The VCSELs share a common anode and a common cathode for collective switching of the plurality of VCSELs. A method of manufacturing such a VCSEL die is also described.

A projection optical system includes: a surface-emitting light source configured to emit light at an intensity in a Gaussian distribution; and an optical element configured to perform uniformization, at least in one direction and in a range of a projection angle, of the intensity of the light emitted from the surface-emitting light source. In the optical element, an incident surface on which the light is incident is sectioned into a plurality of regions having refractive actions different from each other, and among the plurality of regions, at least outermost regions on which outer edge portions, of the light, in the direction in which the uniformization is performed are incident, are planes that are each tilted, from a state of being parallel to a light emitting surface of the surface-emitting light source, to the direction in which the uniformization is performed.