Fabrication of high-Q crystalline whispering gallery mode microcavities using single-point diamond turning

A method for the fabrication of high-Q crystalline whispering gallery mode optical microresonators using diamond turning and further asymptotic abrasive polishing is developed and described. The proposed method allows the fabrication of microresonators with a predefined geometry and a Q-factor higher than 107. A step-by-step fabrication procedure is presented, important parameters ensuring the optimal quality of the surface of the fabricated microresonators are determined, the inspection procedure for the principal parameters is described, and a review of the fabrication of microresonators from different materials is presented.