Patent ID: 7796666

Claim:
A structure having a photonic crystal layer, the layer comprising: a first member made of a material having a first refractive index; and a plurality of second members made of a material having a second refractive index, wherein the first member has a plurality of holes periodically arranged, and the plurality of second members are placed correspondingly in plurality of holes so that a center of each of the plurality of second members is staggered from a center of a corresponding hole of the plurality of holes with respect to a plane of the photonic crystal layer, wherein the plurality of second members are arranged such that the plurality of second members are fixed on the first member, wherein the layer has a periodical array of gaps, each gap including a space between a hole wall of one of the plurality of holes and a corresponding second member of the plurality of second members, and each gap having a shape of a ring, the ring being an annular ring or a rectangular ring, wherein the structure is incorporated in a surface emitting laser that includes a first reflecting mirror, an active layer, and a second reflecting mirror, and wherein the structure is included in the first reflecting mirror.