Strong-coupling regime for quantum boxes in pillar microcavities: Theory

A study of quantum box transitions coupled to three-dimensionally confined photonic modes in pillar microcavities is presented, focusing on the condit ions for achieving a vacuum-field Rabi splitting. For a single InAs quantum box the oscillator strength is a factor of ten too small for being in stro ng coupling. A calculation of exciton states localized to monolayer fluctua tions in quantum wells leads tu much larger values of the oscillator streng ths. Single localized excitons embedded in state-of-the-art micropillars ca n be in strong-coupling regime with a vacuum-field Rabi splitting. [S0163-1 829(99)00143-5].