The optically pumped semiconductor according to the present invention is an optically pumped semiconductor that is a semiconductor of a perovskite oxide. The optically pumped semiconductor has a composition represented by a general formula: BaZr1-xMxO3-α, where M denotes at least one element selected from trivalent elements, x denotes a numerical value more than 0 but less than 0.8, and α denotes an amount of oxygen deficiency that is a numerical value more than 0 but less than 1.5. The optically pumped semiconductor has a crystal system of a cubic, tetragonal, or orthorhombic crystal. When lattice constants of the crystal system are referred to as a, b, and c, provided that a≦b≦c, conditions that 0.41727 nm≦a, b, c≦0.42716 nm and a/c≧0.98 are satisfied.