An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a
radiation emitter (100) comprising an upper
contact layer (41), an upper layer stack (40) below the upper
contact layer, an intermediate layer stack (30) below the upper layer stack (40), a lower layer stack (20) below the intermediate layer stack (30), and a lower
contact layer (21) below the lower layer stack (20), wherein the upper layer stack (40) is
electrically conductive and comprises at least one upper reflector (42), wherein the intermediate layer stack (30) comprises at least one
active layer (31) and an aperture layer (32) that defines an aperture (32a), wherein the lower layer stack (20) is
electrically conductive and subjected to
electrical current during operation and comprises at least one lower reflector (22), wherein a mesa (50) extends from top of the
radiation emitter downwards and includes the upper contact layer (41), the upper layer stack (40), the intermediate layer stack (30) and the lower layer stack (20), wherein a ring-shaped trench (60) is located within the mesa (50), extends from top of the
radiation emitter downwards, and severs the upper contact layer (41) and the at least one upper reflector (42) of the upper layer stack (40), and wherein the ring-shaped trench (60) is at least partly filled with an
electrically conductive material (70) that provides a ring-shaped
electrical current path surrounding an inner
electrical current path that passes through the upper layer stack (40).