Liquid infiltration of monolithic open-access Fabry-Perot microcavities

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Microfabrication

Background:

• Fabry-Perot microcavities are crucial optical components.
• Existing fabrication methods often face limitations in scale and accessibility.
• Open-access microcavities are desirable for integrated fluidic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a monolithic fabrication approach for large-scale arrays of high-finesse Fabry-Perot microcavities.
• To create microcavities with open access to the air core for fluidic integration.
• To demonstrate the optical performance and fluidic capabilities of the fabricated microcavities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a stress-driven buckling self-assembly technique for half-symmetric curved-mirror cavity formation.
• Employed a dry etching process to create micropores in the upper mirror for fluid access.
• Characterized optical properties including finesse and mode structure.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated large-scale arrays of high-finesse (finesse ~2500) microcavities.
• Demonstrated highly predictable Laguerre-Gaussian modes within the cavities.
• Confirmed the ability to introduce liquids into the cavity via microinjection through pores.

Conclusions:

• The monolithic fabrication approach yields high-quality, open-access microcavities.
• The demonstrated fluidic integration opens possibilities for microcavity-based sensing and optofluidics.
• Potential applications span sensing, optofluidics, and cavity quantum electrodynamics.