Deterministic Transferable Planar Dielectric Mirrors for Investigating Strong Light-Matter Coupling

TL;DR

This paper introduces a deterministic dry-transfer method to fabricate high-Q dielectric microcavities with embedded monolayer semiconductors, enabling strong light-matter coupling without damaging the emitters.

Contribution

The authors develop a novel dry-transfer fabrication process for dielectric microcavities that preserves emitter integrity and achieves high Q factors, suitable for layered material integration.

Findings

Achieved a Q factor of approximately 4000 in dielectric microcavities.

Observed strong exciton-photon coupling signatures at room and cryogenic temperatures.

Demonstrated preservation of emitter quality using the dry-transfer fabrication method.

Abstract

Optical cavities play a central role in photonic and quantum technologies by enhancing light-matter interactions. In semiconductor microcavities, achieving high quality (Q) factors typically relies on sophisticated epitaxial growth techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy, which offer atomic-scale precision but are costly and limited in material compatibility. For dielectric microcavities, high Q factors can be achieved using dielectric Bragg mirrors. However, conventional deposition techniques for the top mirrors, such as plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition or sputtering, can damage embedded emitters. This limitation is particularly severe for van der Waals materials, especially atomically thin semiconductors. Moreover, the conventional top-mirror deposition can cover or degrade predefined metal contacts. Recovering electrical access typically requires additional lithography and etching steps. Here, a deterministic dry-transfer approach is developed to fabricate complete dielectric microcavities using both top and bottom SiO_2/TiO_2 Bragg mirrors without post-growth lift-off processes, reaching a Q factor ~ 4x10^3. Using a WS_2 monolayer as the active medium, clear signatures of strong exciton-photon coupling are observed at both room temperature and cryogenic temperatures. These results demonstrate an efficient cavity fabrication approach that preserves the integrity of the emitter of layered materials, enabling next generation integrated photonic devices.