Optimal sizes of silica microspheres for linear and nonlinear optical interactions

Abstract

We investigate theoretically the mode volume (Veff) and quality factor (Q) of the fundamental whispering gallery mode of a silica microsphere. We determine the optimal sizes of microspheres for linear and nonlinear optical interactions. We find for the latter case that an optimal wavelength exists that corresponds to the low-loss range for silica. For linear optical interactions, the optimal size is found to be relatively insensitive to the choice of wavelength.