The feasibility of a photopumped infrared vertical‐cavity surface‐emitting laser (VCSEL) based on CdHgTe alloys is demonstrated. The structure of the VCSEL consists of a 16.5‐period Cd0.4Hg0.6Te/Cd0.75Hg0.25Te bottom Bragg reflector and a 3&lgr;/4 thick Cd0.75Hg0.25Te cavity, containing a 100‐nm‐thick well, grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The top mirror is a 7‐period YF3/ZnS dielectric stack. The cavity quality factor isQ=350. This heterostructure VCSEL operates at 3.06 &mgr;m with a measured power density threshold of 45 kW/cm2at 10 K. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.