High-Q Si3N4 microresonators based on a subtractive processing for Kerr nonlinear optics

Abstract

Microresonator frequency combs (microcombs) are enabling new applications in frequency synthesis and metrology from high-speed laser ranging to coherent optical communications. One critical parameter that dictates the performance of the microcomb is the optical quality factor (Q) of the microresonator. Microresonators fabricated in planar structures such as silicon nitride (Si3N4) allow for dispersion engineering and the possibility to monolithically integrate the microcomb with other photonic devices. However, the relatively large refractive index contrast and the tight optical confinement required for dispersion engineering make it challenging to attain Si3N4 microresonators with Qs > 10 000 000 using standard subtractive processing methods. In this work, we achieve ultra-smooth Si3N4 microresonators featuring mean intrinsic Qs around 11 million. The cross-section geometry can be precisely engineered in the telecommunications band to achieve either normal or anomalous dispersion, and we demonstrate the generation of mode-locked dark-pulse Kerr combs as well as soliton microcombs. Such high-Qs allow us to generate soliton microcombs with photodetectable repetition rates, demonstrated here for the first time in Si3N4 microresonators fabricated using a subtractive processing method. These results enhance the possibilities for co-integration of microcombs with high-performance photonic devices, such as narrow-linewidth external-cavity diode lasers, ultra-narrow filters and demultiplexers.

9pages, 4 figures

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Cited by in corpus (23)

• Hertz-linewidth semiconductor lasers using CMOS-ready ultra-high-$Q$ microresonators
• High-yield wafer-scale fabrication of ultralow-loss, dispersion-engineered silicon nitride photonic circuits
• Neuromorphic computing using wavelength-division multiplexing
• Dissipative Kerr solitons in photonic molecules
• Power-efficient soliton microcombs
• Photonic chip-based continuous-travelling-wave parametric amplifier
• Recent Advances in Laser Self-Injection Locking to High-$Q$ Microresonators
• Platicon microcomb generation using laser self-injection locking
• Foundry manufacturing of tight-confinement, dispersion-engineered, ultralow-loss silicon nitride photonic integrated circuit
• Optical linewidth of soliton microcombs
• Room-Temperature Sputtered Ultralow-loss Silicon Nitride for Hybrid Photonic Integration
• Piezoelectric actuation for integrated photonics
• Low-loss integrated nanophotonic circuits with layered semiconductor materials
• Foundry compatible, efficient wafer-scale manufacturing of ultra-low loss, high-density Si${}_3$N${}_4$ photonic integrated circuits
• Thermal noise reduction in soliton microcombs via laser self-cooling
• Ultraviolet astronomical spectrograph calibration with laser frequency combs from nanophotonic lithium niobate waveguides
• Hyperparametric oscillation via bound states in the continuum
• Universal threshold and Arnold tongues in Kerr ring microresonators
• Threshold of complexity and Arnold tongues in Kerr ring microresonators
• Modulation instability of Kerr optical frequency combs in dual-coupled optical cavities
• Finesse and four-wave mixing in microresonators
• Broadband Cavity-Enhanced Kerr Comb Spectroscopy on Chip
• Engineered mode coupling in high-Q microresonators enables deterministic low-repetition-rate soliton microcombs