We have fabricated a SiO2/TiO2high‐reflectivity dielectric multilayer mirror specifically suitable for ZnSe‐based vertical cavity surface‐emitting lasers operating in the green‐to‐blue spectral region. In the fabrication process, the thickness of each layer has been precisely controlled by using aninsituoptical monitoring system. A photo‐pumped ZnCdSe/ZnSe/ZnSSe surface‐emitting laser has also been demonstrated using the SiO2/TiO2dielectric multilayer mirrors stacked with the ZnCdSe/ZnSe/ZnSSe structures. Cavity mode emission with a linear polarization has been observed in the direction normal to the surface at 20 K. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.