A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) has a substrate formed of GaAs. A pair of mirrors is provided wherein one of the pair of mirrors is formed on the substrate. A tunnel junction is formed between the pair of mirrors.

An optical device may include an emitter array including a plurality of emitter groups. Each emitter group may be independently addressable from other emitter groups, of the plurality of emitter groups, for independently lasing. Emitters of the plurality of emitter groups may be interspersed within the emitter array such that a minimum emitter-to-emitter distance within the emitter array is less than a minimum emitter-to-emitter distance within any of the emitter groups.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) may include a top contact, wherein the top contact is associated with a particular shape, and wherein the particular shape is a toothed shape with a particular quantity of teeth. The VCSEL may include at least one implanted region. The VCSEL may include at least one top contact segment.

A method of fabricating a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser(VCSEL) device includes providing a first structure comprising a VCSEL layer structure on a wafer. The first structure has a non-planar first structure top surface with varying height levels and includes one or more electrical contact areas. The method further includes applying one or more layers of cover material on the non-planar first structure top surface with a thickness such that a lowest height level of a cover material top surface is equal to or above the highest height level of the non-planar first structure top surface, to obtain a second structure having a second structure top surface, planarizing the second structure top surface, and producing one or more first electrical vias from the second structure top surface through the one or more layers of cover material for electrical connection to the one or more electrical contact areas.

Some embodiments relate to a method for forming a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) structure. The method includes forming an optically active layer over a lower reflective layer and forming an upper reflector over the optically active layer. A first spacer is formed along sidewalls of the upper reflector. An oxidation process is performed with the first spacer in place to oxidize a peripheral region of the optically active layer. A first etch process is performed on the lower reflective layer and the oxidized peripheral region, thereby forming a lower reflector and an optically active region.

An optoelectronic device includes a semiconductor substrate with a first set of epitaxial layers formed on an area of the substrate defining a lower distributed Bragg-reflector (DBR) stack. A second set of epitaxial layers formed over the first set defines a quantum well structure, and a third set of epitaxial layers, formed over the second set, defines an upper DBR stack. At least the third set of epitaxial layers is contained in a mesa having sides that are perpendicular to the epitaxial layers. A dielectric coating extends over the sides of at least a part of the mesa that contains the third set of epitaxial layers. Electrodes are coupled to the epitaxial layers so as to apply an excitation current to the quantum well structure.

A laser such as a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) emits laser light. A beam shaping metasurface is configured to apply a beam shaping profile to the laser light to generate shaped laser light in response to receiving the laser light.

Some embodiments relate to a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) device including a VCSEL structure overlying a substrate. The VCSEL structure includes a first reflector, a second reflector, and an optically active region disposed between the first and second reflectors. A first spacer laterally encloses the second reflector. The first spacer comprises a first plurality of protrusions disposed along a sidewall of the second reflector.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) device includes an oxide aperture layer positioned in close proximity to the active region of the device, typically within the cavity itself, as opposed to being positioned in the top DBR of the VCSEL. Reducing the spacing between the active region and the oxide aperture layer has been found to reduce the spread of current across the surface of the active region, allowing for a lower threshold current to be achieved. The closer positioning of the oxide aperture layer also reduced optical absorption and series resistance. The oxide aperture layer may be located at the first null in the standing wave pattern between the active region and the top DBR to minimize divergence of the beam and control the optical mode.

In an embodiment, a device includes: a first reflective structure including first doped layers of a semiconductive material, alternating ones of the first doped layers being doped with a p-type dopant; a second reflective structure including second doped layers of the semiconductive material, alternating ones of the second doped layers being doped with a n-type dopant; an emitting semiconductor region disposed between the first reflective structure and the second reflective structure; a contact pad on the second reflective structure, a work function of the contact pad being less than a work function of the second reflective structure; a bonding layer on the contact pad, a work function of the bonding layer being greater than the work function of the second reflective structure; and a conductive connector on the bonding layer.