Fano interference in a resonant Rayleigh scattering of light from a semiconductor microcavity

Resonant Rayleigh scattering of light is studied experimentally in semiconductor microcavity structures. It is shown that characteristic asymmetrical line profiles of the scattered light can be interpreted in a frame of Fano model as a result of quantum mechanical interference between a discrete exciton state and a continuum of light states. This gives the possibility of direct measurements of the cavity polariton dispersion, damping and scattering probabilities.