Rayleigh scattering, mode coupling, and optical loss in silicon microdisks
arXiv:physics/0406101 · doi:10.1063/1.1811378
Abstract
High refractive index contrast optical microdisk resonators fabricated from silicon-on-insulator wafers are studied using an external silica fiber taper waveguide as a wafer-scale optical probe. Measurements performed in the 1500 nm wavelength band show that these silicon microdisks can support whispering-gallery modes with quality factors as high as 5.2 x 10^5, limited by Rayleigh scattering from fabrication induced surface roughness. Microdisks with radii as small as 2.5 microns are studied, with measured quality factors as high as 4.7 x 10^5 for an optical mode volume of 5.3 cubic wavelengths in the material.
4 pages, 2 figures; contains minor correction to doublet splitting theory