Waveguide microcavity based on photonic microstructures

A waveguide based microcavity exhibiting a quality factor Q/spl ap/2500 has been realized by incorporating a /spl lambda//4 phase shift into a 1-D photonic microstructure. The microstructure has an overall length of 3 μm, consists of a deeply etched grating with very narrow (75 nm) air-gaps and exhibits a third-order stop band in the 800-900 nm wavelength regime. A comparison between measurement and simulation suggests that there is a thin (approximately 18 nm) skin of oxidized material at the etched semiconductor-air interfaces.