A vertical cavity light-emitting element includes a first multilayer film reflecting mirror, a light transmissive first electrode, a first semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type, a light-emitting layer, a second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, a second multilayer film reflecting mirror, and a semiconductor substrate. The second multilayer film reflecting mirror includes a plurality of semiconductor layers having the second conductivity type and constitutes a resonator together with the first multilayer film reflecting mirror. The semiconductor substrate is formed on the second multilayer film reflecting mirror, has an upper surface and a projecting portion projecting from the upper surface, and has the second conductivity type. A second electrode is formed on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate.

A backside Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) has a substrate. A first mirror device is formed on the substrate. An active region is formed on the first mirror device. A second mirror device is formed on the active region. A pillar is formed by directional Inductive Coupled Plasma-Reactive Ion Etcher (ICP-RIE). The pillar exposes a portion of the first mirror device, the active region and the second mirror device. A first metal contact is formed over a top section of the pillar. A second metal contact is formed on the substrate. An opening formed in the second metal contact and aligned with the pillar.

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.

[Object] To provide a light-emitting element that has a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser structure and is suitable for a long-distance light irradiation, and a ranging apparatus.

[Solving Means] A light-emitting element according to the present technology includes a plurality of light emitters, a first electrode terminal, and a second electrode terminal. The plurality of light emitters is a plurality of light emitters one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally arranged in a direction that is vertical to an optical axis corresponding to light that exits each of the plurality of light emitters, each of the plurality of light emitters being a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser element, each of the plurality of light emitters including a first electrode and a second electrode, each of the plurality of light emitters emitting the light due to current flowing from the first electrode to the second electrode. The first electrode terminal is electrically connected to the first electrode. The second electrode terminal is electrically connected to the second electrode. A current path from the first electrode terminal to the second electrode terminal that passes through one of the plurality of light emitters exhibits an electrical resistance different from an electrical resistance of a current path from the first electrode terminal to the second electrode terminal that passes through another of the plurality of light emitters.

A semiconductor optical amplifier includes: a substrate; a light source unit that is formed on the substrate; and an optical amplification unit that includes a conductive region extending, from the light source unit, in a predetermined direction along a surface of the substrate, and a nonconductive region around the conductive region. The optical amplification unit amplifies propagation light that propagates, from the light source unit, in the predetermined direction as slow light, and emits the propagation light that is amplified in an emission direction that intersects with the surface. The maximum optical power of the propagation light is larger than the maximum optical power in a vertical oscillation mode.

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 vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) device includes a substrate, a first mirror layer, an active layer, an oxide layer, a second mirror layer, a tunnel junction layer and a third mirror layer sequentially stacked with one another. The first mirror layer and the third mirror layer are N-type distributed Bragg reflectors (N-DBR), and the second mirror layer is P-type distributed Bragg reflector (P-DBR). The tunnel junction layer is provided for the VCSEL device to convert a part of the P-DBR into N-DBR to reduce the series resistance of the VCSEL device, and the tunnel junction layer is not used as current-limiting apertures. This disclosure further discloses a VCSEL device manufacturing method with the in-situ and one-time epitaxy features to avoid the risk of process variation caused by moving the device into and out from an epitaxial cavity.

A surface-emitting laser including a cladding layer, an active region, a first grating, a plurality of second gratings, a first electrode, and a second electrode is provided. The active region is disposed on the cladding layer. The first grating is disposed on the active region. The second gratings are disposed on the active region and separately distributed among the first grating. A diffraction order of the first grating is different from a diffraction order of the second gratings. The first electrode is electrically connected to the cladding layer. The second electrode covers at least the first grating.

Techniques for reducing the risk for an unsafe eye condition associated with light sources. In an example, a light source package is described. The light source package includes a package body defining an interior volume and including an opening. The package also includes a light source contained inside the interior volume of the package body. The package also includes an optical element that occupies at least a portion of the opening of the package body. An electrically conductive material is disposed over a surface of the optical element. This material may be electrically coupled with a system. The system accesses an electrical parameter of the material, determines a damage associated with the optical element based on the electrical parameter, and initiates a corrective action associated with the light source based on the damage.

A backside Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) has a substrate. A first mirror device is formed on the substrate. An active region is formed on the first mirror device. A second mirror device is formed on the active region. A pillar is formed by directional Inductive Coupled Plasma-Reactive Ion Etcher (ICP-RIE). The pillar exposes a portion of the first mirror device, the active region and the second mirror device. A first metal contact is formed over a top section of the pillar. A second metal contact is formed on the substrate. An opening formed in the second metal contact and aligned with the pillar.