Integrated waveguide coupled Si3N4 resonators in the ultrahigh-Q regime

The vast majority of work on waveguide-coupled resonators focuses on decreasing losses in the waveguide and coupling region. Here we present fully integrated resonators based on an ultralow-loss Si3N4 waveguide platform. By tailoring the directional coupler excitation to the resonators, we are able to achieve lower loss singlemode coupling to multimode waveguide widths compared to straight bus waveguide directional couplers. This allows us to demonstrate record-high integrated waveguide coupled intrinsic quality factor (Q(int)) values of 81 million at a 9.65 mm bend radius, with a future direction to both stronger and lower loss waveguide resonator coupling. This result opens up integration possibilities for narrow linewidth integrated diode lasers, low noise feedback systems, microwave photonic research, and the ultrastable timing reference community. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America