Transverse-mode coupling and diffraction loss in tunable Fabry-Pérot microcavities

We report on measurements and modeling of the mode structure of tunable Fabry-Pérot optical microcavities with imperfect mirrors. We find that non-spherical mirror shape and finite mirror size leave the fundamental mode mostly unaffected, but lead to loss, mode deformation, and shifted resonance fre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNew journal of physics Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 53051 - 53059
Main Authors Benedikter, Julia, Hümmer, Thomas, Mader, Matthias, Schlederer, Benedikt, Reichel, Jakob, Hänsch, Theodor W, Hunger, David
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Bristol IOP Publishing 28.05.2015
Institute of Physics: Open Access Journals
Subjects
42.15.Eq
42.25.Fx
Coupling
Diameters
Diffraction
Fabry-Perot
Fabry-Perot resonators
fiber cavities
Holes
Joining
Mathematical analysis
Mathematical models
Microcavities
mode coupling
Optics
Parameter identification
Physics
Stability
Fabry–Perot resonators
mode coupling
diffraction
fiber cavities
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Summary:We report on measurements and modeling of the mode structure of tunable Fabry-Pérot optical microcavities with imperfect mirrors. We find that non-spherical mirror shape and finite mirror size leave the fundamental mode mostly unaffected, but lead to loss, mode deformation, and shifted resonance frequencies at particular mirror separations. For small mirror diameters, the useful cavity length is limited to values significantly below the expected stability range. We explain the observations by resonant coupling between different transverse modes of the cavity and mode-dependent diffraction loss. A model based on resonant state expansion that takes into account the measured mirror profile can reproduce the measurements and identify the parameter regime where detrimental effects of mode mixing are avoided.
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ISSN:1367-2630
1367-2630
DOI:10.1088/1367-2630/17/5/053051