High-quality factor optical microcavities using oxide apertured micropillars

Abstract

An oxide aperture is used to confine optical modes in a micropillar structure. This method overcomes the limitations due to sidewall scattering loss typical in semiconductor etched micropillars. High cavity quality factors (Q) up to 48 000 are determined by external Fabry–Perot cavity scanning measurements, a significantly higher value than prior work in III-V etched micropillars. Measured Q values and estimated mode volumes correspond to a maximum Purcell factor figure of merit value of 72.