Integrated in-fiber coupler for a whispering-gallery mode microsphere resonator

An integrated in-fiber coupler is proposed and demonstrated, which can excite whispering-gallery mode (WGM) in a microsphere resonator. This device is fabricated firstly by using femtosecond laser micromachining and a fusing splicing technique to create an inner air cavity with a suspended fiber core, then an open micro-channel is drilled on the top of the inner air cavity, and finally a microsphere is placed inside the air cavity, in contact with the suspended fiber core, to excite the WGM through the evanescent field. In the transmission spectrum of the device, the slopes of the two asymmetric Fano resonance lines of 41.12 dB/nm and -18.46 dB/ nm, respectively, and a symmetrical Lorentz line with a quality factor of 9.32 x 10(3) can be obtained simultaneously. Such an in-fiber WGM microsphere resonator has the advantages of compact structure, convenient operation, and high durability. (C) 2020 Optical Society of America