The present invention discloses a surface-emitting laser including a substrate 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 <100> toward one of crystal orientations <111>. The semiconductor layers include a resonator structure comprising an active layer; and a semiconductor multilayer mirror 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 including at least an oxide generated by selective oxidation of a part of a selective oxidation layer 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.