FDTD microcavity simulations: design and experimental realization of waveguide-coupled single-mode ring and whispering-gallery-mode disk resonators

We investigate the properties of high-Q, wide free-spectral-range semiconductor microcavity ring and disk resonators coupled to submicron-width waveguides. Key optical design parameters are characterized using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solutions of the full-wave Maxwell's equations. We report coupling efficiencies and resonant frequencies that include the effects of waveguide dispersion and bending and scattering losses. For diameters of 5 /spl mu/m, the microcavity resonators can have Q's in the several thousands and a free spectral range of 6 THz (50 nm) in the 1.55 /spl mu/m, wavelength range. Studies of the transmittance characteristics illustrate the transition from single-mode resonances to whispering-gallery-mode resonances as the waveguide width of the microring is increased to form a solid microdisk. We present nanofabrication results and experimentally measured transmission resonances of AlGaAs/GaAs microcavity resonators designed in part with this method.