Electro-optically tunable microring resonators on lithium niobate.

Electro-optical tuning of a microring resonator fabricated on lithium niobate (LiNbO3) is presented. The device structure, including microring resonator and couplers, is designed in detail and is produced by titanium diffusion on the wet-etched LiNbO3 ridge surface. The resonance wavelengths for TM and TE polarizations can be tuned by electro-optic effect. The output characteristics of through port and drop port in the microring resonators are measured, and the effect of applied voltage on the shift of resonant wavelength is discussed. The presented microring resonators have the features of fast tuning speed, high material stability, bidirection wavelength shift, and no heating interference. Realization of such a microring resonator on LiNbO3 makes the utilization of electro-optic tuning and nonlinear effects in the versatile photonic applications of microring resonators achievable.