A surface emitting laser has a Vertical-Cavity Surface emitting laser (VCSEL) structure. The VCSEL structure includes an aperture provided by a current confinement structure. An optically discontinuous portion is formed in a top Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) of the VCSEL structure such that it is arranged in a region with a gap between it and the aperture.

A VCSEL device having non-coaxial-with-one-another apertures and/or rotationally asymmetric apertures formed in layer(s) of the VCSEL structure to define more than one spatial mode in a light output in operation of the device. An array of such VCSEL devices configured to have different spatial modes at the output of different constituent VCSEL devices. Spatial asymmetry of structure of the constituent VCSEL devices and, therefore, arrays of VCSEL devices causes the overall light output to form an irregular grid of output spots of light. When the VCSEL array is equipped with an appropriate lens array, the spatial components of the light output of the VCSEL array are caused to overlap in the far at the imaging plane in a multiple spatial (and spectral) mode fashion, thereby reducing speckle in imaging applications.

An embodiment discloses a vertical cavity surface emitting laser including a substrate, a lower reflective layer disposed on the substrate, a laser cavity including an active layer and disposed on the lower reflective layer, an oxide layer disposed on the laser cavity, an upper reflective layer disposed on the oxide layer, a plurality of first holes formed in the upper reflective layer and the oxide layer, and an upper electrode disposed on inner sides of the plurality of first holes and disposed on the upper reflective layer, wherein the oxide layer includes a plurality of light emitting regions spaced apart from each other, and the plurality of first holes are disposed to surround each of the light emitting regions in a plan view.

A surface-emitting laser includes a first reflector layer, an active layer provided on the first reflector layer, and a second reflector layer provided on the active layer. The second reflector layer includes a corner reflector that tapers in a direction opposite to the first reflector layer, and the corner reflector has a plan shape of a circle or a polygon with an even number of vertexes.

Included is a semiconductor multilayer film in which a non-doped InAlN layer and a GaN layer formed on said InAlN layer and containing a dopant are stacked a plurality of times.

Polarized light is produced using a VCSEL light source, wherein at least some of the polarized light is reflected or scattered by an object. At least some of the reflected or scattered polarized light is received in a sensor that is operable selectively to detect received light having a same polarization as the light produced by the VCSEL light source. In some instances, signals from the sensor are processed to obtain a three-dimensional distance image of the object or are processed using a time-of-flight technique to determine a distance to the object.

A surface-emitting laser includes an output unit. The output unit has an oblong-shaped VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) structure. The output unit operates in an oscillation state in which a current that is larger than the oscillation threshold value is injected. The output unit receives a coherent seed light via a coupling surface at one end of the VCSEL structure in the longitudinal direction thereof. The seed light thus received propagates as a slow light through the VCSEL structure in the longitudinal direction thereof while being reflected multiple times in the vertical direction within the VCSEL structure. An output light is extracted from the upper surface of the VCSEL structure.

A semiconductor laser includes a first mirror layer, a second mirror layer, an active layer, a first area provided continuously with the first mirror layer and including a plurality of first oxidized layers, and a second area provided continuously with the second mirror layer and including a plurality of second oxidized layers. The first mirror layer, the second mirror layer, the active layer, the first area, and the second area form a laminate. The laminate includes in the plan view a first section, a second section, and a third section disposed between the first section and the second section along a first axis and causing light produced in the active layer to resonate. The amount of strain per unit volume in the second mirror layer of the third section is measured along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and passing through the center of the third section in the plan view, and the difference between the maximum of the amount of strain and the minimum thereof is smaller than 0.20%.

A surface emitting laser element includes a first reflecting mirror; an active layer over the first reflecting mirror; a second reflecting mirror over the active layer; and a multilayer film over the second reflecting mirror. The multilayer film has a side surface including one film and inclined with respect to a principal surface of the second reflecting mirror. The multilayer film includes, in a thickness direction, two or more pairs of a first film having a first refractive index and a second film having a second refractive index higher than the first refractive index. The multilayer film has a center portion and a peripheral portion around the center portion in plan view in a direction perpendicular to the principal surface. The peripheral portion includes the side surface.

A VCSEL can include: an elliptical oxide aperture in an oxidized region that is located between an active region and an emission surface, the elliptical aperture having a short radius and a long radius with a radius ratio (short radius)/(long radius) being between 0.6 and 0.8, the VCSEL having a relative intensity noise (RIN) of less than −140 dB/Hz. The VCSEL can include an elliptical emission aperture having the same dimensions of the elliptical oxide aperture. The VCSEL can include an elliptical contact having an elliptical contact aperture therein, the elliptical contact being around the elliptical emission aperture. The elliptical contact can be C-shaped. The VCSEL can include one or more trenches lateral of the oxidized region, the one or more trenches forming an elliptical shape, wherein the oxidized region has an elliptical shape. The one or more trenches can be trapezoidal shaped trenches.