Replica-molded high-Q polymer microresonators.
Ultrahigh-Q microtoroids on a chip are applied as replication masters to demonstrate replica-molded high-Q microresonator arrays. Replica Q factors are nearly material loss limited, affirming the integrity of the replication process, and are as high as 5 x 10(6), or nearly a factor of 40 greater than previous polymer-based devices. Because the molding process is nondestructive, both the master and the molds can be reused. Additionally, by using a novel optical polymer (Vicast), we demonstrate storage of high-Q microresonators in the mold for weeks, providing a method to preserve the whispering-gallery Q factor.
Martin
Andrea L
AL
Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, M/C 128-95, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
Armani
Deniz K
DK
Yang
Lan
L
Vahala
Kerry J
KJ