A light-emitting element includes at least a GaN substrate 11; a first light reflecting layer 41 formed on the GaN substrate 11 and functioning as a selective growth mask layer 44; a first compound semiconductor layer 21, an active layer 23, and a second compound semiconductor layer 22 that are formed on the first light reflecting layer; and a second electrode 32 and a second light reflecting layer 42 that are formed on the second compound semiconductor layer 22. An off angle of the plane orientation of the surface of the GaN substrate 11 is 0.4 degrees or less, the area of the first light reflecting layer 41 is 0.8S.sub.0 or less, where S.sub.0 represents the area of the GaN substrate 11, and as a bottom layer 41A of the first light reflecting layer, a thermal expansion relaxation film 44 is formed on the GaN substrate 11.

A VCSEL package including a VCSEL, a housing, containing the VCSEL, and a diffuser operably attached to the housing and configured to receive an emitted beam of light from the VCSEL and produce a beam of predetermined angular divergence. The housing may be a PLLC package, a ceramic package, or a TO-style package. The diffuser could be a substantially planar diffuser sheet, which in some cases may be comprised of glass or plastic. In some embodiments, the diffuser could be a diffractive optical element or holographic light shaping diffuser. In some embodiments, the diffuser can be designed to produce a beam with an illumination full angle of up to about 90 degrees.

The present disclosure relates to novel and advantageous VCSELs and VCSEL arrays. In particular, the present disclosure relates to novel and advantageous VCSELs and VCSEL arrays having, or patterned in, unique shapes, including rectangular shapes, linear shapes, shapes having two or more segments, and other non-circular shapes. Additionally, VCSELs and VCSEL arrays of the present disclosure may be combined with optical elements. In some embodiments, optical elements may be monolithically integrated on the VCSEL dies, or may be monolithically integrated on standoff pedestals arranged on the VCSEL dies.

A vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes: a substrate; and a laminated body which is provided over the substrate, wherein the laminated body includes a first mirror layer provided over the substrate, an active layer provided over the first mirror layer, and a second mirror layer provided over the active layer, in a plan view, the laminated body includes a first portion having a first width, a second portion having a second width, and a third portion which is provided between the first portion and the second portion and has a third width wider than the first width or the second width, and a resin layer which covers at least one portion of the first portion is provided.

A light-emitting device is provided. The light-emitting device comprises: an epitaxial structure comprising a first DBR stack, a light-emitting stack and a second DBR stack and a contact layer in sequence; an electrode on the epitaxial structure; a current blocking layer between the contact layer and the electrode; a first opening formed in the current blocking layer; and a second opening formed in the electrode and within the first opening; wherein a part of the electrode fills in the first opening and contacts the contact layer.

A VCSEL includes a vertical resonator structure that includes a first Bragg reflector, a second Bragg reflector, and an active region, and a laser diode structure that includes a p-doped first region and an n-doped second region arranged on two sides of the active region, respectively. The vertical resonator structure further includes a tunnel diode structure having a highly n-doped first semiconductor layer and a highly p-doped second semiconductor layer. The VCSEL further includes an electrical contact arrangement having a first metal contact and a second metal contact defining a current path so that, for a voltage applied to the contact arrangement that is a reverse voltage in relation to the laser diode structure and a forward voltage in relation to the tunnel diode structure, charge carriers are conducted away from the vertical resonator structure via the tunnel diode structure into the second metal contact.

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.

Optical devices and methods of fabricating the same are provided. An example of the disclosed optical devices includes an epitaxial mesa formed on a silicon substrate and a single crystal semiconductor material layer formed between the silicon substrate and the epitaxial mesa. The single crystal semiconductor material layer comprises a bandgap that is wider than a bandgap of the epitaxial mesa. The example optical device also includes a semiconductor device layer formed between the single crystal semiconductor material layer and the epitaxial mesa. Examples of the optical devices include vertical injection optical devices, which can include an optically active region. In these examples, the bandgap of the single crystal semiconductor material layer is wider than a bandgap of the optically active region.

A light-emitting device is provided. The light-emitting device comprises: an epitaxial structure comprising a first DBR stack, a light-emitting stack and a second DBR stack and a contact layer in sequence; an electrode on the epitaxial structure; a current blocking layer between the contact layer and the electrode; a first opening formed in the current blocking layer; and a second opening formed in the electrode and within the first opening; wherein a part of the electrode fills in the first opening and contacts the contact layer.

A light emitting device includes: a first mesa structure including a light emitting part; a second mesa structure that is connected to the first mesa structure by a common semiconductor layer and that includes a light receiving part that receives light propagating in a lateral direction through the semiconductor layer from the light emitting part; a detector that detects an amount of the light received by the light receiving part; and an oxide confinement layer that is formed over the first mesa structure and the second mesa structure and that includes an oxidized region and a non-oxidized region.