Fabry-Perot resonators with transverse coupling on SOI using loop mirrors

A novel integrated transversely coupled Fabry-Perot resonator using loop mirrors as the end reflectors are demonstrated via simulations and experiments on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. The resonator is formed by connecting two loop mirrors to the two output ports of a directional coupler to form the resonant cavity and utilizing the other two ports as the input and the output. Depending on which two ports of the directional coupler are mirrored, two configurations of the resonator can be achieved. The impacts of varying the cavity length and the coupling coefficient of the directional coupler on the output characteristics of the resonators are analyzed. A Q-factor of 28086 and an extinction ratio of 10.04 dB with an insertion loss of 1.9 dB is achieved experimentally for a 1038μm cavity length and an extinction ratio of 18.14 dB and a Q-factor of 5120 with an insertion loss of 2.12 dB is obtained for a cavity length of 376μm. The reported resonator offers additional freedom to tune the spectral characteristics.