Photonic molecules defined by SU-8 photoresist strips on a photonic crystal waveguide.

We present experimental and numerical investigations of photonic molecules obtained from laser patterned SU-8 photoresist strips on photonic crystal waveguides. Properties of cavities defined by a single strip are investigated and we show that two adjacent strips on a waveguide form a pair of optically coupled cavities. Simulation results and micro-photoluminescence mapping measurements demonstrate that the coupling strength is tunable by controlling the separation between the strips. Confocal mapping with decoupled collection and excitation points is used to explicitly show coupling between two cavities of a photonic molecule.

Optical fabrication and characterisation of SU-8 disk photonic waveguide heterostructure cavities.

In order to demonstrate cavity quantum electrodynamics using photonic crystal (PhC) cavities fabricated around self-assembled quantum dots (QDs), reliable spectral and spatial overlap between the cavity mode and the quantum dot is required. We present a method for using photoresist to optically fabricate heterostructure cavities in a PhC waveguide with a combined photolithography and micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy system. The system can identify single QDs with a spatial precision of ±25 nm, and we confirm the creation of high quality factor cavity modes deterministically placed with the same spatial precision. This method offers a promising route towards bright, on-chip single photon sources for quantum information applications.

Inkjet-Printed Nanocavities on a Photonic Crystal Template.

The last decade has witnessed the rapid development of inkjet printing as an attractive bottom-up microfabrication technology due to its simplicity and potentially low cost. The wealth of printable materials has been key to its widespread adoption in organic optoelectronics and biotechnology. However, its implementation in nanophotonics has so far been limited by the coarse resolution of conventional inkjet-printing methods. In addition, the low refractive index of organic materials prevents the use of "soft-photonics" in applications where strong light confinement is required. This study introduces a hybrid approach for creating and fine tuning high-Q nanocavities, involving the local deposition of an organic ink on the surface of an inorganic 2D photonic crystal template using a commercially available high-resolution inkjet printer. The controllability of this approach is demonstrated by tuning the resonance of the printed nanocavities by the number of printer passes and by the fabrication of photonic crystal molecules with controllable splitting. The versatility of this method is evidenced by the realization of nanocavities obtained by surface deposition on a blank photonic crystal. A new method for a free-form, high-density, material-independent, and high-throughput fabrication technique is thus established with a manifold of opportunities in photonic applications.