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Tuning the Mode Splitting of a Semiconductor Microcavity with Uniaxial Stress
Journal
Physical Review Applied
Volume
15
Number
5
Pages / Article-Number
054061
Abstract
A splitting of the fundamental optical modes in micro- and nanocavities comprising semiconductor heterostructures is commonly observed. Given that this splitting plays a role in light-matter interaction and hence quantum technology applications, a method for controlling the mode splitting is useful. In this work we use an open microcavity composed of a "bottom" semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) incorporating a n-i-p heterostructure, paired with a "top" curved dielectric DBR. We measure the mode splitting as a function of wavelength across the stopband. We demonstrate a reversible in situ technique to tune the mode splitting by applying uniaxial stress to the semiconductor DBR. The method exploits the photoelastic effect of the semiconductor materials. We achieve a maximum tuning of approximately 11 GHz. The stress applied to the heterostructure is determined by observing the photoluminescence of quantum dots embedded in the sample, converting a spectral shift to a stress via deformation potentials. A thorough study of the mode splitting and its tuning across the stopband leads to a quantitative understanding of the mechanism behind the results.
