TY - JOUR AU - C. Hood AU - H. Kimble AU - Jun Ye AB - An extensive characterization of high-finesse optical cavities used in cavity QED experiments is described. Different techniques in the measurement of the loss and phase shifts associated with the mirror coatings are discussed and their agreement shown. Issues of cavity-field mode structure supported by the dielectric coatings are related to our effort to achieve the strongest possible coupling between an atom and the cavity. BT - Physical Review A DA - 2001-08 DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.64.033804 N2 - An extensive characterization of high-finesse optical cavities used in cavity QED experiments is described. Different techniques in the measurement of the loss and phase shifts associated with the mirror coatings are discussed and their agreement shown. Issues of cavity-field mode structure supported by the dielectric coatings are related to our effort to achieve the strongest possible coupling between an atom and the cavity. PY - 2001 T2 - Physical Review A TI - Characterization of high-finesse mirrors: Loss, phase shifts, and mode structure in an optical cavity VL - 64 SN - 1050-2947 ER -