Controlled observation of nondegenerate cavity modes in a microdroplet on a superhydrophobic surface

Abstract

We demonstrate controlled lifting of the azimuthal degeneracy of the whispering gallery modes (WGMs) of single glycerol-water microdroplets standing on a superhydrophobic surface by using a uniform electric field. A good agreement is observed between the measured spectral positions of the nondegenerate WGMs and predictions made for a prolate spheroid. Our results reveal fewer azimuthal modes than expected from an ideal spherical microdroplet due to the truncation by the surface. We use this difference to estimate the contact angles of the microdroplets.