Fabrication of glass micro-cavities for cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments

We report a process for fabricating high quality, defect-free spherical mirror templates suitable for developing high finesse optical Fabry-Perot resonators. The process utilizes the controlled re-flow of borosilicate glass and differential pressure to produce mirrors with 0.3 nm surface roughness. The dimensions of the mirrors are in the 0.5-5 mm range making them suitable candidates for integration with on-chip neutral atom and ion experiments where enhanced interaction between atoms and photons is required. Cavities constructed with these mirror templates are well suited to quantum information applications such as single photon sources and atom-photon entanglement. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3658391]