A vertical cavity light-emitting element comprising: a gallium-nitride-based semiconductor substrate ; a first multilayer reflector made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the substrate ; a semiconductor structure layer including a first semiconductor layer , an active layer , and a second semiconductor layer , the first semiconductor layer being made of a nitride semiconductor having a first conductivity type formed on the first multilayer reflector , the active layer being made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the first semiconductor layer , the second semiconductor layer being formed on the active layer and made of a nitride semiconductor having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type; a first electrode layer that is electrically in contact with the first semiconductor layer of the semiconductor structure layer ; a second electrode layer formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor structure layer , the second electrode layer being electrically in contact with the second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor structure layer in one region of the upper surface; and a second multilayer reflector formed to cover the one region on the second electrode layer , the second multilayer reflector constituting a resonator with the first multilayer reflector , wherein the semiconductor structure layer has one recessed structure including one or a plurality of recessed portions passing through the active layer from the upper surface in a region surrounding the one region, and the recessed structure is disposed to overlap with the second multilayer reflector when viewed from a direction perpendicular to an in-plane direction of the semiconductor structure layer . a gallium-nitride-based semiconductor substrate ; a first multilayer reflector made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the substrate ; a semiconductor structure layer including a first semiconductor layer , an active layer , and a second semiconductor layer , the first semiconductor layer being made of a nitride semiconductor having a first conductivity type formed on the first multilayer reflector , the active layer being made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the first semiconductor layer , the second semiconductor layer being formed on the active layer and made of a nitride semiconductor having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type; a first electrode layer that is electrically in contact with the first semiconductor layer of the semiconductor structure layer ; a second electrode layer formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor structure layer , the second electrode layer being electrically in contact with the second semiconductor layer of the semiconductor structure layer in one region of the upper surface; and a second multilayer reflector formed to cover the one region on the second electrode layer , the second multilayer reflector constituting a resonator with the first multilayer reflector , wherein the semiconductor structure layer has one recessed structure including one or a plurality of recessed portions passing through the active layer from the upper surface in a region surrounding the one region, and the recessed structure is disposed to overlap with the second multilayer reflector when viewed from a direction perpendicular to an in-plane direction of the semiconductor structure layer . <EOS>