are taken for $L/\lambda$ = 0.93 (left, in pink), 0.96 (middle, in green), and 1.06 (right, in cyan). Plotted are a Gaussian (blue curve) and the Gaussian convolved with the function $|S+1|^2$ (red curve). The experimental air gap of $L$ = 925 nm, for $\lambda=963$ nm, is represented by the middle green curve.[]{data-label="figair2"}](fig4.eps){width="100.00000%"}

Experimental results {#results}
====================

Sample fabrication
------------------

Our samples were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on a GaAs wafer, and included a 130 nm GaAs membrane layer with InAs QDs embedded in the middle of the membrane, a 925 nm AlGaAs sacrificial layer, and a 10 layer AlGaAs/GaAs Distributed-Bragg-Reflector (DBR) located below the sacrificial layer. PhC H1 cavities were fabricated using the following standard recipe: e-beam lithographic patterning to define the patterns in a photoresist layer, inductively-coupled plasma dry etching to transfer the pattern into the semiconductor membrane, and hydrofluoric acid wet etching to undercut the sacrificial layer, leaving a free-standing membrane. Devices were made with systematic variations of small hole sizes and outward shifts, according to the simulated far-field optimization. Experimental Qs of our cavities were typically 3,000 to 8,000.

Far-field imaging
-----------------

We experimentally measure the far-field profiles of our cavities by imaging the 