GaN-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with AlInN/GaN distributed Bragg reflectors

This paper describes the status and prospects of gallium nitride-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with semiconductor-based distributed Bragg reflectors. These optoelectronic devices, which emit laser light from the violet to green region, are expected to be a superior light source for the next-generation of displays and illumination, such as retinal scanning displays and adaptive headlights. The development status and prospects are discussed in comparison with already commercialized gallium arsenide-based infrared VCSELs.