A high-speed, light emitting device which utilizes a solid state source for generating light for use in fiber optical communications. The source is an active, narrow band gap layer of semiconductive material between heterojunctions formed with a p.sup.+ -type material on one side of an n.sup.+ -type material on the other side. A mirror on the back of the source reflects light toward an optical fiber abutting the substrate on the front of the source. A side mirror traverses the edge of the active layer at an angle of about 45.degree. and reflects light traveling parallel to the active layer toward the optical fiber. Contacts are coupled to the semiconductor material for applying an electrical signal across the active layer to generate light. In a preferred embodiment, the active layer is GaAsSb joined to GaAlAsSb and the substrate is GaAs.