An addressable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array may generate structured light in dot patterns. The VCSEL array includes a plurality of traces that control different groups of VCSELs, such that each group of VCSELs may be individually controlled. The VCSEL groups are arranged such that they emit a dot pattern, and by modulating which groups of VCSELs are active a density of the dot pattern may be adjusted. The VCSEL array may be part of a depth projector that projects the dot pattern into a local area. A projection assembly may replicate the dot pattern in multiple tiles.

A soldering system that determines soldering quality of elements relative to a housing at the moment of soldering semiconductor laser elements. A soldering device that performs soldering of a semiconductor laser element to a semiconductor laser module, a robot that conveys the module, a camera, and a control device that controls the robot and camera based on imaging output of the camera. The robot conveys the module and changes the position and posture of the camera. The camera images the module. The control device calculates the position of the semiconductor laser element based on the imaging output, calculates parallelism between the housing of the module and the semiconductor laser element based on the change in light intensity related to the imaging output when changing the relative position between the camera and the subject, and determines the quality of soldering of the semiconductor laser element based on the position and parallelism.

An addressable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array may generate structured light in dot patterns. The VCSEL array includes a plurality of traces that control different groups of VCSELs, such that each group of VCSELs may be individually controlled. The VCSEL groups are arranged such that they emit a dot pattern, and by modulating which groups of VCSELs are active a density of the dot pattern may be adjusted. The VCSEL array may be part of a depth projector that projects the dot pattern into a local area. A projection assembly may replicate the dot pattern in multiple tiles.

A drive apparatus includes a light emitting device, a light receiving device configured to receive light emitted by the light emitting device, a comparison circuit configured to compare a light quantity of light detected by the light receiving device with a target value indicating a light quantity of light to be emitted by the light emitting device and generate a control signal corresponding to a comparison result, and a drive circuit configured to supply a drive signal corresponding to the control signal to the light emitting device. The drive circuit includes a gain changing switch configured to change, in accordance with the target value, a gain of the drive circuit.

Systems and methods for controlling laser modulation in burst communications. In a start-up phase, a drive circuitry sequentially applies first and second drive currents to a laser diode such that it produces a first and second optical output, respectively. A compensating current source coupled to the laser diode provides a current related to the first and second drive currents to maintain a combined current flowing through an impedance connected to the laser diode at a substantially constant level during the start-up phase. An optical sensor measures the first and second optical outputs, and a controller uses values of the first and second drive currents, the outputs from the optical sensor, and at least one supplied input value to provide control values for the drive circuitry for controlling operating current of the laser diode during a subsequent operating phase, wherein information is transmitted in at least one burst.

By eliminating the need to use a high-precision clock in pulse width detection for pulse width adjustment in a case where light-emitting elements as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers are pulse-driven, circuit configuration is simplified and cost is reduced. A laser drive apparatus according to the present technology includes a drive circuit unit that drives light-emitting elements as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers to emit light on the basis of a pulse signal, a pulse width detection unit that detects the pulse width of the pulse signal on the basis of the potential of a capacitor when the capacitor is charged on the basis of the pulse signal, and a control unit that performs control so that the pulse width is adjusted on the basis of a detection result of the pulse width.

The present invention discloses a VCSEL array that is divided into at least a first and a second area. The first area covers the center of the array and is surrounded by the second area. The first area would experience higher temperature than the second area after the VCSELs in both areas are turned on for a given time period. VCSELs in the first area are electrically connected to a first metal layer portion. VCSELs in the second area are electrically connected to a second metal layer portion. The first and second metal layer portions are electrically insulated from each other.

A line beam irradiation apparatus (1000) includes a work stage (200), a line beam source (100) for irradiating a work (300) placed on the work stage (200) with a line beam; and a transporting device (250) for moving at least one of the work stage (200) and the line beam source (100) such that an irradiation position of the line beam on the work moves in a direction transverse to the line beam. The line beam source includes a plurality of semiconductor laser devices and a support for supporting the plurality of semiconductor laser devices. The plurality of semiconductor laser devices are arranged along a same line extending in a fast axis direction, and the laser light emitted from emission regions of respective ones of the semiconductor laser devices diverge parallel to the same line to form the line beam.

An addressable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array may generate structured light in dot patterns. The VCSEL array includes a plurality of traces that control different groups of VCSELs, such that each group of VCSELs may be individually controlled. The VCSEL groups are arranged such that they emit a dot pattern, and by modulating which groups of VCSELs are active a density of the dot pattern may be adjusted. The VCSEL array may be part of a depth projector that projects the dot pattern into a local area. A projection assembly may replicate the dot pattern in multiple tiles.

In some implementations, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) includes a substrate layer and epitaxial layers on the substrate layer. The epitaxial layers may include an active layer, a first mirror, a second mirror, and one or more oxidation layers. The active layer may be between the first mirror and the second mirror, and the one or more oxidation layers may be proximate to the active layer. The one or more oxidation layers may be configured to control beam divergence of a laser beam emitted by the VCSEL based on at least one of: a quantity of the one or more oxidation layers, a shape of the one or more oxidation layers, a thickness of the one or more oxidation layers, or a proximity of the one or more oxidation layers to the active layer.