High-Q aluminum oxide microring resonators operating at 460 nm

Area of Science:

• Integrated photonics
• Materials science
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is a promising material for integrated photonics due to its low optical losses and high refractive index.
• Existing platforms often face limitations in the visible spectrum, hindering applications in sensing and quantum technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively study 460 nm microring resonators on an aluminum oxide platform.
• To demonstrate high-performance integrated photonic devices in the visible range.
• To explore thermal tuning capabilities for resonance control.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microring resonators using a commercial multi-project wafer service.
• Characterization of optical properties, including intrinsic quality factor.
• Implementation and testing of integrated metallic heaters for thermal tuning.

Main Results:

• Achieved a record intrinsic quality factor of 3.6 × 10^5 on the aluminum oxide platform.
• Demonstrated thermal tuning efficiency of 1.63 pm/mW over a 500 pm range.
• Successfully integrated photonic functionalities in the visible spectrum.

Conclusions:

• Aluminum oxide is a viable and high-performance platform for visible integrated photonics.
• The demonstrated devices show potential for applications in sensing, spectroscopy, and quantum photonics.
• Further development can leverage this platform for advanced photonic integrated circuits.