<i>Q</i> Factors Exceeding 10 <sup>4</sup> in Wavelength-to-Subwavelength-Scale Free-Space Resonators with Dual Asymmetry Control
Free-space-addressable optical resonators with high quality factors ( Q ) and wavelength-to-subwavelength mode volumes ( V m ) enhance light–matter interactions in sensing, nonlinear optics, and quantum photonics. However, experimental Q factors in this mode volume regime remain limited to ∼10 3 because existing asymmetry-driven designs couple geometric and optical perturbation components, constraining access to high- Q regimes. Here, we show that independently tuning these two asymmetry axes unlocks a biaxial radiative landscape with iso- Q contours connecting geometrically and optically distinct perturbations of equivalent Q . We demonstrate this framework in very-large-scale-integrated Si nanoantenna pixel (VINPix) resonators with 35–150 nm out-of-plane perturbations of amorphous Si, SiN x, and SiO 2 . Experimentally, we achieve Q up to 76 000 at V m of ∼1.7 λ 0 3 n eff –3 across arrays of >80 resonators in water. Computationally, slotted VINPix resonators reach Q of >10 6 at V m of ∼0.2 λ 0 3 n eff –3 . This biaxial framework establishes a generalizable design strategy for ultrahigh- Q free-space nanophotonic resonators.
Authors
- Sahil Dagli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6610-6460)
- Halleh B. Balch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4365-957X)
- Sajjad Abdollahramezani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5166-5991)
- Varun Dolia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1036-3473)
- Yanyu Xiong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4399-6253)
- Priyanuj Bordoloi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6583-7368)
- Jennifer A. Dionne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5287-4357)
- Parivash Moradifar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7445-4628)
- Chih-Yi Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2692-7728)
- Darrell E. Omo-Lamai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4224-366X)
Institutions
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nano Letters
- Published
- 2026-06-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c02042
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00