Surface emitting laser, method for manufacturing surface emitting laser, and image forming apparatus

A method for manufacturing a surface emitting laser comprising:

• a step of forming, on a substrate, a laminate including a lower multilayer minor, an active layer, and an upper multilayer mirror, a second oxidizable layer in the laminate, and a first oxidizable layer above the second oxidizable layer in the laminate;
• a step of partially oxidizing the first oxidizable layer to form a first current confinement layer including a first conductive region and a first insulating region;
• and
• a step of partially oxidizing the second oxidizable layer to form a second current confinement layer including a second conductive region and a second insulating region after the step of forming the first current confinement layer, a boundary between the first conductive region and the first insulating region being disposed inside the second current confinement layer in an in-plane direction of the substrate,
• wherein the first oxidizable layer and the second oxidizable layer or a layer adjacent to the first oxidizable layer and a layer adjacent to the second oxidizable layer are adjusted so that the magnitude of residual stress produced at the boundary between the first conductive region and the first insulating region in the step of forming both regions is smaller than that at the boundary between the second conductive region and the second insulating region in the step of forming both regions.