Ultimate Q of optical microsphere resonators

We demonstrate the quality factor Q - (0.8 +/- 0.1) x 10(10) of whispering-gallery modes in fused-silica microspheres at 633 nm, close to the ultimate level determined by fundamental material attenuation as measured in optical fibers. The lifetime of ultimate Q is limited by adsorption of atmospheri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics letters 1996-04, Vol.21 (7), p.453-455
Main Authors: Gorodetsky, M L, Savchenkov, A A, Ilchenko, V S
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We demonstrate the quality factor Q - (0.8 +/- 0.1) x 10(10) of whispering-gallery modes in fused-silica microspheres at 633 nm, close to the ultimate level determined by fundamental material attenuation as measured in optical fibers. The lifetime of ultimate Q is limited by adsorption of atmospheric water. Monitoring of adsorption kinetics with submonolayer sensitivity by Q factors and frequencies of whispering-gallery modes is demonstrated. The possibility of supermaterial Q's owing to intrinsic suppression of scattering losses in micropheres is discussed.
ISSN:0146-9592
1539-4794
DOI:10.1364/ol.21.000453