Vertical cavity surface emitting laser element and method of producing vertical cavity surface emitting laser element

A method of producing a vertical cavity surface emitting laser element, the method comprising:

• forming a stacked body that includes:
• a first DBR (Distributed Bragg Reflector) configured to reflect light of a specific wavelength,
• a second DBR configured to reflect the light of the specific wavelength,
• an active layer between the first DBR and the second DBR, and
• a tunnel junction layer between the first DBR and the active layer, wherein
• the tunnel junction layer includes a tunnel junction,
• each of the active layer and the tunnel junction layer includes:
• an inner peripheral region and an outer peripheral region,
• a bandgap of the outer peripheral region of the tunnel junction layer is larger than a bandgap of the inner peripheral region of the tunnel junction layer,
• each of the inner peripheral region and the outer peripheral region is in a direction which is perpendicular to a layer surface direction of the stacked body, and
• the outer peripheral region surrounds the inner peripheral region;
• and
• implanting ions into the outer peripheral region of the tunnel junction layer, wherein
• a carrier concentration of the outer peripheral region of the tunnel junction layer is lower than a carrier concentration of the inner peripheral region of the tunnel junction layer, based on the implantation of the ions into the outer peripheral region of the tunnel junction layer, and
• an electric resistance of the outer peripheral region of the tunnel junction layer is larger than an electric resistance of the inner peripheral region of the tunnel junction layer, based on the implantation of the ions into the outer peripheral region of the tunnel junction layer.