Towards a monolithic process for open-access Fabry-Perot etalon cavities

• Author / Creator

  Maldaner, James B

• This thesis describes the design, fabrication, morphological overview, optical
  characterization, and fluid infiltration of ‘open-access’, small mode-volume,
  and high quality-factor Fabry-Perot micro-cavities in the telecommunication
  range followed by the simulation of a-Si:H/SiO2-based Bragg mirrors for submicron range devices.
  First, we describe a monolithic approach to fabricating large-scale arrays
  of high-finesse and low-mode-volume Fabry-Perot microcavities with open access to the air-core. A stress-driven buckling self-assembly technique was used
  to form half-symmetric curved-mirror cavities, and a dry etching process was
  subsequently used to create micro-pores through the upper mirror. We show
  that the cavities retain excellent optical properties, with reflectance-limited
  finesse ∼2000 and highly predictable Laguerre-Gaussian modes. We furthermore demonstrate the ability to introduce liquids into the cavity region by
  micro-injection through the pores.
  Secondly, we conducted a theoretical study on the potential use of amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) as the high-index material in quarterwave-stack Bragg mirrors for cavity QED applications. Compared to conventionally employed Ta2O5, a-Si:H provides a much higher index contrast with
  SiO2, thus promising significantly reduced layer-number requirements and a
  smaller mode volume. Silicon-based mirrors offer the additional advantage of
  providing a wide omnidirectional reflection band, which allows greater control
  of the background electromagnetic modes. From numerical studies at 850 nm,
  iiwe show that a-Si:H-based mirrors could enable significant improvements with
  respect to a Fabry-Perot cavity’s maximum Purcell factor, cooperativity, and
  spontaneous emission coupling factor, and in addition, potentially reduced
  fabrication complexity. These advantages are anticipated to be even more
  compelling at longer wavelengths. Applications in sensing, optofluidics, and
  cavity quantum electrodynamics are envisioned.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • cavity quantum electrodynamics
  • Fabry-Perot micro-cavity
  • integrated optics
  • microfabrication

• Graduation date

  Fall 2020

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-h4te-r355

• License

  Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission.