A
laser element (LD) comprising a
photonic crystal layer (6) onto which
laser light is incident, the
photonic crystal layer (6) comprising: a first region consisting of a carrier layer (6A) formed from a medium having a first
refractive index; and a plurality of second regions (6B), each formed from a medium having a second
refractive index which has a
refractive index different from that of the medium having a first refractive index, and which are arranged in the carrier layer (6A), wherein each region of the plurality of second regions (6B) has a planar shape of a triangle, an
ellipse in which a numerical eccentricity is different from zero, or has a non-rotationally symmetric shape, wherein unit configuration regions (R11 - R34) are arranged two-dimensionally in an XY plane containing an X-axis and a Y-axis, each unit configuration region (R11 - R34) comprising exactly one second region (6B), wherein in each unit configuration region (R11 - R34), a rotation angle of a point on an outline of the planar shape with respect to a center point of the second region (6B) is denoted by φ, wherein an X-coordinate and a Y-coordinate of a center point (G) of each of the unit configuration regions (R11 - R34) are given by a center point of the associated second region (6B), wherein the
angle of rotation φ increases proportionally to an increase in the X-coordinate of the unit configuration area (R11 - R34) at equal intervals and wherein the
angle of rotation does not change despite a change in the Y-coordinate of the unit configuration area (R11 - R34), wherein a two-dimensional phase distribution of an image obtained by performing an inverse
Fourier transform on a far-field image corresponds to a distribution of the rotation angles φ at the locations of the unit configuration areas (R11 - R34), wherein the entire
photonic crystal layer (6) contains at least three different rotation angles φ, wherein the
laser element (LD) is configured such that a far-
field pattern image of a laser beam is emitted in a state in which it is inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to a light-emitting surface of the laser element (LD).