Methods and devices for maintaining a resonant wavelength of a photonic microresonator

摘要

A photonic microresonator incorporates a localized heater element within a section of an optical bus waveguide that is in proximity to the resonator structure. The application of an adjustable control voltage to the heater element provides a localized change in the refractive index value of the bus waveguide, compensating for temperature-induced wavelength drift and maintaining a stabilized value of the microresonator's resonant wavelength.

主权项

1. A photonic microresonator apparatus comprising:
a photonic resonator structure formed on a silicon substrate and configured to operate at a selected resonant wavelength; an optical bus waveguide formed on the silicon substrate and disposed to provide evanescent coupling at the selected resonant wavelength into the resonator structure; and a heater element disposed adjacent to a section of the optical bus waveguide, and substantially close to the resonator structure, the heater element comprising a region of doped silicon configured to,
modify a temperature of the adjacent section of the optical bus waveguide upon the application of a voltage thereto, the temperature changed by an amount adjusted to compensate for transient thermal fluctuations in the resonator structure, and to maintain the resonant wavelength at the selected resonant wavelength.