Nonvolatile actuation of a slot microring resonator through photochromic molecular infiltration

In this talk, we report resonance tuning of a silicon nitride microring resonator structure using photochromic molecules. A slot waveguide structure and back-end compatible light molecule evaporation are used to enhance interaction of the molecules and optical mode. The device is interrogated in the optical C-band where the molecules exhibit low optical loss, but where a change in refractive index is present. Under UV illumination the resonance is observed to redshift, while under visible illumination the resonance blueshifts. Furthermore, the observed index shift is seen to be non-volatile. This constitutes a new way to optically reversibly trim and reconfigure high index contrast photonic integrated circuits for which a plethora of applications have been investigated recently.