Abstract

Microcavities allow to shape the electromagnetic field in a tighlty confined space: for example, spherical microcavities are well known for their whispering gallery modes and their extraordinarily large Q-factor. Here we study the mode structure of planar-spherical cavities. We have developed [1] the possibility of templating a gold coated surface with a regular array of spherical dimples (see insert on the top left of Figure 1). We place a planar gold plated glass sheet a few microns above this surface, thus forming a regular array of planar-spherical cavities. These cavities, are reproducible and with a well defined and adjustable geometry: we can change both the cavity length and the depth of the spherical mirror. Moreover, they can be filled with a variety of materials, either linear or nonlinear and may therefore be an excellent building block of novel macroscopic optical structures.

© 2007 IEEE