ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the essential feature of optical microcavities as well as its physical basis. It presents an application of the physical principie of the microcavity, a simplified discussion of device design methodology of the microcavity semiconductor laser. Controlling spontaneous emission is also strongly related with the stimulated emission processes. The chapter analyzes the laser oscillation properties of optical microcavities within the framework of Fermi’s golden rule. In the semiclassical laser theory, starting from the plane wave Maxwell-Bloch equations for a single mode standing wave laser, the following rate equations can be derived assuming a homogeneously broadened two-level laser material and central frequency tuning. Making electronic systems of higher density and higher frequency, signal interconnection becomes more difficult and coupling noise increases. This is due to utilizing charged particles (electrons) for signal transmission. On the other hand, photons, which carry energy but have no charge and do not interact among themselves, are ideal for signal interconnection.
