High-Q silicon carbide photonic-crystal cavities

We demonstrate one-dimensional photonic-crystal nanobeam cavities in amorphous silicon carbide. The fundamental mode exhibits intrinsic optical quality factor as high as 7.69 x 10(4) with mode volume similar to 0.60(lambda/n)(3) at wavelength 1.5 mu m. A corresponding Purcell factor value of similar to 10(4) is the highest reported to date in silicon carbide optical cavities. The device exhibits great potential for integrated nonlinear photonics and cavity nano-optomechanics. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.