Abstract

Photonic crystal microcavities offer the prospect of high quality factor cavity modes with extremely small mode volumes. Through these parameters, one can tailor the emission properties of emitters inside the cavity, leading to applications ranging from low threshold lasers to quantum optics.^1,2 We have used self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QD) to probe the cavity modes of a photonic crystal microcavity fabricated by a triangular lattice of air holes formed in a semiconductor membrane.³ Quantum dots have a wide spectral bandwith for emission due to size fluctuations, making them ideal emitters for probing the cavity modes of an optical resonator. The resonators exhibited cavity modes having quality (Q) factors in excess of 1000.

© 2001 Optical Society of America