Bespoke mirror fabrication for quantum simulation with light in open-access microcavities.

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Nanotechnology
• Materials science

Background:

• Light in multimode optical microcavities can mimic quantum systems.
• The mirror's surface topography dictates the light's potential energy landscape.
• Precise control over microcavity geometry is crucial for quantum simulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer custom mirror shapes for optical microcavities using focused ion beam (FIB) milling.
• To create tailored trapping potentials for light within microcavities.
• To investigate the potential for quantum simulation and superfluid light in these engineered microcavities.

Main Methods:

• Focused ion beam (FIB) milling to fabricate custom mirror topographies.
• Atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure surface roughness and topography.
• Solving Schrödinger's equation to determine optical modes based on measured topography.
• Spectroscopic analysis of dye-filled microcavities with engineered potentials.

Main Results:

• FIB milling successfully generated 2D box, 1D waveguide, and Mexican hat potentials.
• Optical modes in 2D box potentials behaved as predicted, forming standing waves.
• Predicted scattering loss due to surface roughness was 177 parts per million, yielding a high cavity finesse.
• Experimental spectra showed thermalized light and resolved cavity modes in engineered microcavities.

Conclusions:

• FIB milling is a viable technique for creating arbitrary optical microcavity shapes for quantum simulation.
• Engineered microcavities demonstrate control over light's potential energy landscape.
• These findings represent a significant step towards realizing quantum simulation with light in custom optical microcavities.