We describe the fabrication and operation of vertical cavity surface emitting layers by pulsed optical pumping. The structure consists of a vertical cavity resonator with SiO2/SiN distributed Bragg reflectors and a CdZnSe/ZnSe strained‐layer superlattice active region. The emission spectra rapidly narrow to full width at half‐maximum of 7 A˚ and the emission intensity increases by over two orders of magnitude, indicating stimulated emission. Lasing is observed at thresholds of ≊44 kW/cm2at temperatures up to 30 K with lasing wavelength near 488 nm. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.