Optimized double heterostructure (DH) vertical‐cavity top‐emitting lasers are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Both the doping profile and the laser structure are optimized to achieve high performance. Continuous wave 2 mW output power at room temperature is obtained for nominal 10 &mgr;m diam DH vertical‐cavity top‐emitting injection lasers. A single fundamental longitudinal and transverse mode is maintained up to 1.7 mW. It lases in continuous waves at a temperature of 80 °C. A lasing power range of ∼0.8 mW is sustained within a 10% change in the output linearity, which is much larger than a value of less than 0.1 mW for quantum well lasers. This demonstrates that its output linearity is far more superior than the one of compared quantum well lasers, which is explained in detail. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.