VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASER COMPRISING SINGLE LASER ELEMENT PROVIDED ON COMMON SUBSTRATE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a VCSEL device of a high output in a specified signal lateral direction light-emitting mode. SOLUTION: A VCSEL device is provided with a plurality of VCSEL elements provided on a common substrate, and each VCSEL element comprises first and second mirror means 3 and 5, each of them having a specified reflectivity at a prescribed wavelength, forming an optical resonator of the wavelength as well as a laser active region 1, provided between the first and second mirror means. In addition, the VCSEL device comprises a grid layer 4, provided with a plurality of a opening parts 6 corresponding to the VCSEL elements and a contact layer 2 of a prescribed thickness, with the contact layer 2 provided between each of the first mirror means 5 and the grid layer 4. The optical thickness of the contact layer 2, as well as the reflectivity and absorption of the grid layer 4, depend on the grid layer 4, while being so selected as to provided different effective reflectivity of each first mirror means 3 in the region covered with the grid, as well as in the region corresponding to the grid-opening part 6.