We propose and demonstrate a unique suspended slot-waveguide structure supported by a thin slab to realize high-quality air-clad silicon slotted microring resonators (SMRs) on the silicon-on-insulator platform, based on a fabrication process consisting of two-step electron beam lithography and inductively-coupled-plasma reactive-ion- etching. Our SMRs can achieve an intrinsic optical quality factor (Q) above 10⁵ operating at the telecom band, which is the highest value for silicon SMRs reported to date. The demonstrated high-quality air-clad silicon SMRs enable great potential for broad applications in biosensing, nonlinear photonics, and cavity optomechanics.

Date Published: 27 February 2015
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 9367, Silicon Photonics X, 936708 (27 February 2015);

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9367:
Silicon Photonics X
Graham T. Reed; Michael R. Watts, Editor(s)