Abstract
We demonstrated the monolithic integration of reusable and wavelength reconfigurable ring resonator lasers and waveguides of arbitrary shapes to out-couple and guide laser emission on the same fused-silica chip. The ring resonator hosts were patterned by a single-mask standard lithography, whereas the waveguides were inscribed in the proximity of the ring resonator by using 3-dimensional femtosecond laser inscription technology. Reusability of the integrated ring resonator – waveguide system was examined by depositing, removing, and re-depositing dye-doped SU-8 solid polymer, SU-8 liquid polymer, and liquid solvent (toluene). The wavelength reconfigurability was validated by employing Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and 3,3′-Diethyloxacarbocyanine iodide (CY3) as exemplary gain media. In all above cases, the waveguide was able to couple out and guide the laser emission. This work opens a door to reconfigurable active and passive photonic devices for on-chip coherent light sources, optical signal processing, and the investigation of new optical phenomena.
Highlights
Very recently, we have developed highly versatile ring resonator dye lasers built on fused-silica substrates[9,10]
Figure 1. 3-D schematics of the fused-silica hollow ring resonator coated with a gain medium doped high refractive index (a) solid polymer and (b) liquid
We have demonstrated the monolithic integration of photolithographically fabricated ring resonators and optical waveguides inscribed by an ultrafast laser
Summary
We have developed highly versatile ring resonator dye lasers built on fused-silica substrates[9,10]. The rib and ridge waveguides typically require an isolation layer underneath to prevent optical leakage to the substrate[11,12,13,14] Another lateral coupling method uses a waveguide formed by filling a fluidic channel with high-index liquids to transport light from the adjacent ring resonator[1,2,15,16,17]. Unlike the aforementioned integrated ring resonator and waveguide systems[2,15,16], the waveguides presented here are convenient and economical, and can be rapidly and accurately patterned with a single-step maskless ultrafast laser writing process at room temperature and pressure They are well protected within the circumambient fused-silica and physically isolated from the laser gain media deposited in the ring cavity, thereby enabling a high performance laser system with high mechanical strength, durability, broad chemical compatibility, and excellent thermal stability. A lasing threshold of 315 nJ/mm[2] was achieved with R6G-doped solid polymer, denoting a remarkably low threshold compared to any other solid-state dye-doped polymer laser fabricated with standard lithography process on a chip
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