Patent ID: 8249126

Claim:
A surface emitting laser that oscillates at a wavelength λ, comprising: a photonic crystal; a first reflector mirror formed to include said photonic crystal; a second reflector mirror arranged opposite to said first reflector mirror; and an active layer arranged between said first reflector mirror and said second reflector mirror, wherein said photonic crystal comprises: a first region having a fundamental periodic structure and provided with defects introduced into said fundamental periodic structure, and adapted to reflect light of the wavelength λ; and a second region having a fundamental periodic structure the same as that of said first region and adapted to reflect light of the wavelength λ, said second region having no defects introduced thereinto, wherein said first region has a lower reflectance with respect to light of the wavelength λ than does said second region, wherein said second region is arranged at a center portion of said photonic crystal, and said first region is arranged in a surrounding region around said second region, wherein said photonic crystal is configured to have at least three refractive index periods in at least two directions in said second region, and wherein laser oscillation does not take place at said first region while laser oscillation takes place at said second region.