Tunable whispering-gallery-mode resonators for cavity quantum electrodynamics

We theoretically study the properties of highly prolate-shaped dielectric microresonators. Such resonators sustain whispering-gallery modes that exhibit two spatially well-separated regions with enhanced field strength. The field per photon on the resonator surface is significantly higher than, e.g., for equatorial whispering-gallery modes in microsphere resonators with a comparable mode volume. At the same time, the frequency spacing of these modes is much more favorable, so that a tuning range of several free spectral ranges should be attainable. We discuss the possible application of such resonators for cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments with neutral atoms and reveal distinct advantages with respect to existing concepts.