Patent ID: 8188457

Claim:
A layered light emitting device comprising: plural light emitting devices arranged in a thickness direction of an active layer, each light emitting device including: a support part; a first cladding layer formed above the support part; an active layer formed above the first cladding layer; a second cladding layer formed above the active layer; and a reflective part formed above the support part and separated from the active layer; wherein at least a portion of the active layer constitutes a plurality of gain regions; each of the plurality of gain regions is provided at an angle with respect to a line normal to a first lateral surface of the active layer, from the first lateral surface to a second lateral surface of the active layer that is parallel to the first lateral surface; the plurality of gain regions forms at least one gain region pair; a first gain region that is one of the gain region pair is provided in one direction: a second gain region that is the other of the gain region pair is provided in another direction different from the one direction; at least a portion of an end surface of the first gain region, the end surface being located on the side of the second lateral surface, and at least a portion of an end surface of the second gain region, the end surface being located on the side of the second lateral surface, overlap with each other; and light emitted from the end surface of the first gain region, the end surface being located on the side of the first lateral surface, is reflected by the reflective part, and propagates in the same direction or in the focusing direction with light emitted from the end surface of the second gain region, the end surface being located on the side of the first lateral surface, and wherein a plurality of the gain region pairs of the light emitting device is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the active layer, a plurality of the gain region pairs of the light emitting device is arranged in the thickness direction of the active layer, and electric current is fed independently to each row comprising a plurality of the gain region pairs arranged in the thickness direction of the active layer.