Coherent coupling of optical resonances in spherical microcavities results in the formation of so called photonic
molecules. The name originates from the analogy to chemical molecules. The coupled optical modes are similar to the
atomic orbitals of a chemical molecule. In this work, we studied the resonance spectrum of the symmetric photonic
molecules. Furthermore, symmetric directional emission of light from the photonic molecules is experimentally shown.
The photonic molecules are illuminated in the vertical direction with a defocused laser beam. The emission is attributed
to photonic nanojets generated in the structure. Spectral analysis exhibit whispering gallery mode resonances of coupled
and uncoupled modes. A benzene molecule-like structure consisting of a 7-microspheres cyclic photonic molecule shows
a field emission pattern similar to the spatial distribution of the orbitals of the benzene molecule.
We present a detailed study of the localized coupled-cavity modes in a photonic molecule formed from two dielectric spherical microcavities with CdTe nanocrystals, which show a multi-peak narrowband modal structure resulting from lifting of the mode degeneracy with respect to the azimuthal quantum number. The waveguiding through the coupled microcavities and wavelength switching effect is demonstrated. The feasibility of photonic molecules as the basis for a multi-channel, wavelength-tunable optical delay device is analysed.
We present a detailed study of the localized coupled-cavity modes in a photonic molecule formed from two dielectric spherical microcavities with CdTe nanocrystals, which show a multi-peak narrowband modal structure resulting from lifting of the mode degeneracy with respect to the azimuthal quantum number. The feasibility of photonic molecules as the basis for a multi-channel, wavelength-tunable optical delay device is analysed.
Spherical microcavities consisting of a dielectric material show unique optical characteristics as resonators in combination with semiconductor nanoparticles. A high quality factor results in a very narrow bandwidth of the resonant modes (whispering-gallery modes) inside the microcavity. The polystyrene microspheres are coated with one monolayer of CdTe nanocrystals which offer a high photostability and a high quantum yield at room temperature. Due to strong confinement of the electrons in all three dimensions, excitation from the quantum dots is highly size-dependent and tuneable over almost the whole visible spectrum. The deposition of the nanocrystals on the sphere surface allows efficient coupling of the light of the CdTe quantum dots into the microcavity. Photoluminescence and Raman spectra were taken with a Renishaw Raman system. The setup is equipped with an Ar+-laser and a HeNe-laser to excite the nanocrystals. Raman measurements show a series of very sharp resonant peaks instead of a continuous spectrum. Strong interaction between the electronic states of the nanocrystals and the resonant modes in the microsphere causes a considerable enhancement of the Raman scattering and luminescence from the CdTe quantum dots in Stokes and anti-Stokes region. Furthermore, a linear blue shift of the resonances in the photoluminescence spectrum was observed during continuous excitation for 18 minutes with a HeNe laser.
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