title: Strong optical confinement between nonperiodic flat dielectric gratings.
abstract: We present a novel design of optical microcavity where the optical energy resides primarily in free space and therefore is readily accessible to foreign objects such as atoms, molecules, mechanical resonators, etc. We describe the physics of these resonators and propose a design method based on stochastic optimization. Cavity designs with diffraction-limited mode volumes and quality factors in the range of 10(4)-10(6) are presented. With a purely planar geometry, the cavity can be easily integrated on-chip by using conventional micro- and nanofabrication processes.
authors.affiliation: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, 1501 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, California 94304-1123, USA. jingjingl@hp.com
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fattal
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
authors.forename: Raymond G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Beausoleil