GROUP III NITRIDE SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT-RECEIVING ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING GROUP III NITRIDE SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT-RECEIVING ELEMENT

Provided is a group III nitride semiconductor laser element having a reduced forward voltage. The p-type cladding layer comprises a p-type dopant and n-type impurities such that the concentration of the p-type dopant in the p-type cladding layer is greater than the concentration of n-type impurities. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum as measured using excitation light stronger than the band gap of the p-type cladding layer has a band edge emission peak and a donor-acceptor pair emission peak. The difference (E (BAND) - E (DAP)) between the energy E (BAND) of the band edge emission peak value in the PL spectrum and energy E (DAP) of the donor-acceptor pair emission peak in the PL spectrum has a correlation with the forward drive voltage (Vf) of a group III nitride semiconductor element 11. When this energy difference (E (BAND) - E (DAP)) is 0.42 eV or less, there is a reduction in the drive voltage related to forward voltage application of the group III nitride semiconductor emission element.