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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
09:46
Fabrication and Characterization of High-Q Silicon Nitride Membrane Resonators
Published on: August 8, 2025
Micromechanically tuned ring resonator in silicon on insulator
Lasse J Kauppinen1, Shahina M C Abdulla, Meindert Dijkstra
1Integrated Optical Microsystems, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
Optics Letters
|April 12, 2011
Summary
This study presents a novel micromechano-optical device that tunes silicon ring resonator wavelengths using an electrostatic microcantilever. This innovation achieves a resonance wavelength shift of 125 picometers.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)
Background:
- Silicon ring resonators are key components in integrated photonics.
- Controlling their optical properties is crucial for tunable photonic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a monolithically integrated micromechano-optical device.
- To tune the resonance wavelength of a silicon ring resonator using electrostatic actuation.
Main Methods:
- Integration of a silicon nitride microcantilever with a silicon ring resonator.
- Utilizing electrostatic actuation to perturb the microcantilever.
- Modulating the evanescent field of the ring resonator via microcantilever displacement.
Main Results:
- Successful monolithic integration of the micromechano-optical device.
- Demonstrated tuning of the silicon ring resonator's resonance wavelength.
- Achieved a total wavelength tunability of 125 picometers.
Conclusions:
- The developed device offers a novel approach for tunable silicon photonics.
- Electrostatic actuation provides precise control over optical resonance.
- This technology has potential applications in reconfigurable optical circuits.
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