Temperature dependence of the spectral characteristics of distributed-feedback resonators

We characterize the spectral response of a distributed-feedback resonator when subject to a thermal chirp. An Al₂O₃ rib waveguide with a corrugated surface Bragg grating inscribed into its SiO₂ top cladding is experimentally investigated. We induce a near-to-linear temperature gradient along the resonator, leading to a similar variation of the grating period, and characterize its spectral response in terms of wavelength and linewidth of the resonance peak. Simulations are carried out, showing good agreement with the experimental results and indicating that the wavelength of the resonance peak is a result only of the total accumulated phase shift. For any chirp profile we are able to calculate the reflectivities at the resonance wavelength, and this information largely explains how the linewidth of the resonance changes. This result shows that the increase in linewidth is governed by the increase of the resonator outcoupling losses.