Surface-emitting laser, surface-emitting laser array, optical scanning device, and image forming apparatus

摘要

A disclosed surface-emitting laser includes a substrate (101) and multiple semiconductor layers stacked on the substrate. A normal of the principal plane of the substrate is inclined with respect to one of crystal orientations <1 0 0> toward one of crystal orientations <1 1 1>. The semiconductor layers include a resonator structure (104,106) comprising an active layer (105); and a semiconductor multilayer mirror (107) stacked on said resonator structure. The semiconductor multilayer mirror includes a confined structure where in an electric current passage area is surrounded by an oxidized area (108a) including at least an oxide generated by selective oxidation of a part of a selective oxidation layer (108) containing aluminum. A strain field caused by the oxidation is present at least in a part of the vicinity of the oxidized area. In the strain field, the amount of strain in a first axis direction is different from the amount of strain in a second axis direction.