A distributed feedback semiconductor laser of includes a semiconductor stacked body and a first electrode. The semiconductor stacked body includes a first layer, an active layer that is provided on the first layer and is configured to emit laser light by an intersubband optical transition, and a second layer that is provided on the active layer. The semiconductor stacked body has a first surface including a flat portion and a trench portion; the flat portion includes a front surface of the second layer; the trench portion reaches the first layer from the front surface; the flat portion includes a first region and a second region; the first region extends along a first straight line; the second region extends to be orthogonal to the first straight line; and the trench portion and the second region outside the first region form a diffraction grating having a prescribed pitch along the first straight line. The first electrode is provided in the first region.