VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASER ELEMENT

A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser element according to one embodiment comprises: a lower mirror; an upper mirror disposed above the lower mirror; an activated region located between the lower mirror and the upper mirror; a lower n-type cladding layer disposed between the activated region and the lower mirror; an upper n-type cladding layer disposed between the activated region and the upper mirror; a highly-concentrated doped p-type semiconductor layer disposed between the activated region and the upper n-type cladding layer; and a highly-concentrated doped n-type semiconductor layer disposed between the highly-concentrated doped p-type semiconductor layer and the upper n-type cladding layer to form a tunnel junction with the highly-concentrated doped p-type semiconductor layer.