Linear and nonlinear characterization of a broadband integrated Si-rich silicon nitride racetrack ring resonator for on-chip applications

We demonstrate the linear and nonlinear characterization of a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon-rich silicon nitride (SRSN) racetrack ring resonator for on-chip applications within the telecommunication wavelength range. The SRSN waveguide parameters are optimized by employing the refractive index profile measured by ellipsometry to achieve flat dispersion in the telecom band. Furthermore, we measure the thermo-optic coefficient of the micro-resonator by analyzing the temperature-dependent transmission spectra and assess it to be 3.2825×10−5∘C−1. Additionally, we study power-dependent transmission spectra to investigate the effect of local heating and nonlinear absorption. The power-dependent transmission spectra exhibit a blueshifting of the resonance peak in the visible and near-IR regions, which indicates the presence of nonlinear losses in that range. The power-dependent transmission spectra almost remain unchanged in the telecom band, revealing the absence of nonlinear losses and excellent thermal stability in that wavelength range. Our experimental results reveal that the SRSN-based structure can be employed potentially to realize linear and nonlinear applications in the telecom band.