Sharp whispering-gallery modes in rolled-up vertical SiO2 microcavities with quality factors exceeding 5000.

Record high quality (Q) factors of 5400 in vertical microtube ring resonators operated in emission mode are demonstrated. This is achieved by rolling-up a differentially strained SiO2 layer. We also present a theoretical model to investigate the limit of the Q factor. This model especially includes the effect of interlayer voids in the rolled-up geometry, which is found to have a larger effect than scattering due to notches in the spiral shape.