Quantitative analysis of oscillatory variations in the quality factor of micropillar cavities

The influence of the pillar radius on the Q factor of a micropillar cavity is investigated numerically. The relation between Q factor and pillar radius shows an advanced oscillatory behavior which cannot be explained in a 1D model.We propose a multi-mode Fabry-Perot model to quantify the oscillation period observed and we show that the governing mechanism behand the oscillation is coupling to higher-order propagating Bloch modes in the distributed Bragg reflectors.

We demonstrate that even though the Q factor is an advanced function involving many oscillating contributions, the model still allows for the determination of a characteristic oscillation period.