Microcavities play a significant role in the study of cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED), as they induce efficient coupling of light and matter. Confining matter within a cavity, increases the...Show moreMicrocavities play a significant role in the study of cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED), as they induce efficient coupling of light and matter. Confining matter within a cavity, increases the probability of deterministic interactions between e.g. a (quantum) particle and the light cast into the cavity by a laserbeam. Cavity parameters such as cavity length and radius of curvature of the micromirror define the cavity regime and consequently the physical phenomena that can be observed, from the bad-cavity (Purcell) regime to the strong coupling regime. We are looking for a highly controllable and repeatable way of producing microcavities with a small mode volume and a high finesse. This translates into the creation of micromirrors with radii of curvature between 10 μm and 50 μm and a depth of up to 1 μm. We offer an overview of micromirror production methods; CO2 laser ablation, focused ion beam milling (FIB), direct laser writing and current controlled curvature. For CO2 laser ablation the key parameters to control the dimensions of the ablated structure, are the power of the laser and the beamwaist. We perform simulations of the ablation process and show that micromirrors with the desired dimensions can be obtained by using a CO2 laser in a range between 420-440 mW and a beamwaist of 40 μm. We find that for these parameters clipping loss is negligible. Therefore, CO2 laser ablation meets the criteria and proves to be a reliable way of producing micromirrors.Show less
