Observation of combined electron and photon confinement in planar microcavities incorporating quantum wires

We have investigated the transition from nonresonant to resonant coupling between quantum confined one-dimensional carriers and two-dimensional photon states in a wavelength-long planar Bragg microcavity incorporating strained ${\mathrm{In}}_{0.15}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.85}\mathrm{A}\mathrm{s}/\mathrm{G}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{A}\mathrm{s}$ V-groove quantum wires (QWRs). Clear spectral and angular redistribution of the broad (8 meV) and weakly directional QWR emission in free space into the narrow (1 meV) and directional resonant quasimodes of the planar microcavity is observed, resulting in an intense (×50) and polarization controlled emission from the microcavity QWRs. Moreover, the microcavity confinement is used to discriminate between QWR excitons with different degrees of localization, and to alter exciton diffusion both in real and k space.