Surface-emitting laser device, surface-emitting laser array, optical scanner, image forming apparatus, and method for manufacturing surface-emitting laser device

A surface-emitting laser device, comprising:

• a lower multilayer film reflecting mirror;
• a resonator structure having an active layer;
• an upper multilayer film reflecting mirror;
• a substrate on which the lower multilayer film reflecting mirror, the resonator structure, and the upper multilayer film reflecting mirror are laminated;
• and
• a transparent dielectric layer that is provided in an emitting region surrounded by an electrode and configured to cause a reflectance at a peripheral part to be different from a reflectance at a central part in the emitting region;
• wherein the transparent dielectric layer is provided on a high refractive index layer of the upper multilayer film reflecting mirror,
• wherein a thickness of the high refractive index layer is different between a region having a relatively high reflectance and a region having a relatively low reflectance in the emitting region,
• wherein an optical thickness of the region of the high refractive index layer having the relatively high reflectance is an odd number multiple of a one quarter oscillation wavelength (λ/4) of laser light emitted from the emitting region, and an optical thickness of the high refractive index layer in the region having the relatively low reflectance is less than the optical thickness of the high refractive index layer in the region having the relatively high reflectance and is deviated from an odd number multiple of λ/4, and
• a reflectance difference between the region having the relatively high reflectance and the region having the relatively low reflectance is greater than a case in which the optical thickness of the high refractive index layer is the odd number multiple of the one quarter oscillation wavelength.