Athermal polymer coated hybrid microresonators

An improved understanding of the nonlinearity of optical materials is important as the control of nonlinear behavior is critical when designing optical devices. In this study, we provide one possible way to control nonlinear effects by coating polystyrene (PS) or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) on silica optical toroidal microcavities. The theoretical and experimental results show that the thermo-optic behavior which is normally present in these devices can be controlled by precise application of nano-scale polymer films. Using these two common optical materials, we demonstrate that it is possible to develop a device whose operation is completely temperature independent. This type of device will find numerous applications, both in telecommunications and in biodetection.