A beam deflection device includes multiple light-emission structures arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction (X direction). The light-emission structures are each configured to be capable of emitting, from its device surface, a line beam that extends in the first direction in the far field. Furthermore, the light-emission structures are each configured to allow the line beam to be scanned in a second direction (Y direction) that is orthogonal to the first direction.

A light-emitting element includes: a laminated structure body 20 which is formed from a GaN-based compound semiconductor and in which a first compound semiconductor layer 21 including a first surface 21a and a second surface 21b that is opposed to the first surface 21a, an active layer 23 that faces the second surface 21b of the first compound semiconductor layer 21, and a second compound semiconductor layer 22 including a first surface 22a that faces the active layer 23 and a second surface 22b that is opposed to the first surface 22a are laminated; a first light reflection layer 41 that is provided on the first surface 21a side of the first compound semiconductor layer 21; and a second light reflection layer 42 that is provided on the second surface 22b side of the second compound semiconductor layer 22. The first light reflection layer 41 includes a concave mirror portion 43, and the second light reflection layer 42 has a flat shape.

An on-chip miniarray of optically-coupled oxide-confined apertures of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) is realized by etching holes from the chip surface down to at least one aperture layer. Oxidation of the aperture layer results in electrically-isolated apertures suitable for current injection. The lateral distance between the aperture centers and the shape of the aperture is chosen to result in effective interaction of the neighboring optical modes in the related aperture regions through optical field coupling effect causing the interaction-induced splitting of the wavelengths of the optical modes. At least one aperture has a different surface area due to different spacing of the etched holes. Different aperture sizes result in different wavelengths of the coupled modes. Splitting of the cavity modes in a frequency domain 3-100 GHz extends the modulation bandwidth of the device due to photon-photon interaction effects.

Selective deposition of highly reflective coating and/or anti-reflecting coating over apertures of different VCSELs foiining a miniarray allows stabilizing lasing in a single coherent mode of the array. Most preferably, highly reflective coating covers the largest aperture and stabilizes the fundamental mode of the coherent array. Anti-reflecting coatings can be deposited on at least one other aperture to reduce the photon lifetime and increase the homogeneous broadening of the related resonant wavelength. Consequently broadening of the photon-photon interaction resonances between the cavity modes can be controlled. Such resonance broadening allows control over the shape of the current modulation curve of the miniarray of VCSELs with the frequency maximum defined by the splitting of the cavity modes and the broadening defined by the broadening of the photon resonances. An increase in −3dB modulation bandwidth of the VCSEL miniarray up to at least 70 GHz is possible.

Such miniarray of VCSELs enables efficient coupling of the emitted light to a multimode optical fiber with the efficiency of at least 70%.

A closely spaced emitter array may include a first emitter comprising a first plurality of structures and a second emitter, adjacent to the first emitter, comprising a second plurality of structures. The first emitter and the second emitter may be configured in the closely spaced emitter array such that different types of structures between the first plurality of structures and the second plurality of structures do not overlap while maintaining close spacing between the first emitter and the second emitter.

A light-emitting element includes: a laminated structure body 20 which is formed from a GaN-based compound semiconductor and in which a first compound semiconductor layer 21 including a first surface 21a and a second surface 21b that is opposed to the first surface 21a, an active layer 23 that faces the second surface 21b of the first compound semiconductor layer 21, and a second compound semiconductor layer 22 including a first surface 22a that faces the active layer 23 and a second surface 22b that is opposed to the first surface 22a are laminated; a first light reflection layer 41 that is provided on the first surface 21a side of the first compound semiconductor layer 21; and a second light reflection layer 42 that is provided on the second surface 22b side of the second compound semiconductor layer 22. The first light reflection layer 41 includes a concave mirror portion 43, and the second light reflection layer 42 has a flat shape.

A VCSEL may include an n-type substrate layer and an n-type bottom mirror on a surface of the n-type substrate layer. The VCSEL may include an active region on the n-type bottom mirror and a p-type layer on the active region. The VCSEL may include an oxidation layer over the active region to provide optical and electrical confinement of the VCSEL. The VCSEL may include a tunnel junction over the p-type layer to reverse a carrier type of an n-type top mirror. Either the oxidation layer is on or in the p-type layer and the tunnel junction is on the oxidation layer, or the tunnel junction is on the p-type layer and the oxidation layer is on the tunnel junction. The VCSEL may include the n-type top mirror over the tunnel junction, a top contact layer over the n-type top mirror, and a top metal on the top contact layer.

A method of incorporating a control structure within a VCSEL device cavity using a multiphase growth sequence includes forming a first mirror over a substrate, forming an active region over the first mirror, forming a spacer on a surface of the active region, forming a control structure on a surface of the spacer, and forming a second mirror over the control structure. The active region and the spacer are formed using a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) process during an MBE phase of the multiphase growth sequence. The second mirror is formed using a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process during an MOCVD phase of the multiphase growth sequence. The control structure is formed using a chemical etching process during a transition period between the MBE phase and the MOCVD phase of the multiphase growth sequence.

Several VCSEL devices for long wavelength applications in wavelength range of 1200-1600 nm are described. These devices include an active region between a semiconductor DBR on a GaAs wafer and a dielectric DBR regrown on the active region. The active region includes multi-quantum layers (MQLs) confined between the active n-InP and p-InAlAs layers and a tunnel junction layer above the MQLs. The semiconductor DBR is fused to the bottom of the active region by a wafer bonding process. The design simplifies integrating the reflectors and the active region stack by having only one wafer bonding followed by regrowth of the other layers including the dielectric DBR. An air gap is fabricated either in an n-InP layer of the active region or in an air gap spacer layer on top of the semiconductor DBR. The air gap enhances optical confinement of the VCSEL. The air gap may also contain a grating.

A visible light source includes a substrate, a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser including an active semiconductor region configured to emit infrared light and a first reflector configured to reflect the infrared light emitted by the active semiconductor region, a second reflector configured to reflect the infrared light and form a vertical cavity for the infrared light with the first reflector, and one or more micro-resonators configured to receive the infrared light and generate visible light in one or more colors using the infrared light through optical parametric oscillation. The visible light source also includes one or more output couplers configured to couple the visible light in one or more colors from the one or more micro-resonators into free space or into a photonic integrated circuit.

Methods, devices and systems are described for enabling a series-connected, single chip vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array. In one aspect, the single chip includes one or more non-conductive regions one the conductive layer to produce a plurality of electrically separate conductive regions. Each electrically separate region may have a plurality of VCSEL elements, including an anode region and a cathode region connected in series. The chip is connected to a sub-mount with a metallization pattern, which connects each electrically separate region on the conductive layer in series. In one aspect, the metallization pattern connects the anode region of a first electrically separate region to the cathode region of a second electrically separate region. The metallization pattern may also comprise cuts that maintain electrical separation between the anode and cathode regions on each conductive layer region, and that align with the etched regions.