Electro-optically tunable microring laser monolithically integrated on lithium niobate on insulator

We demonstrate monolithic integration of an electro-optically (EO) tunable microring laser on lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) platform. The device is fabricated by photolithography assisted chemo-mechanical etching, and the pump laser is evanescently coupled into the erbium (Er3+)-doped lithium niobate (LN) microring laser using an undoped LN waveguide mounted above the microring. The quality factor of the LN microring resonator is measured as high as 1.54 × 105 at the wavelength of 1542 nm. Lasing action can be observed at a pump power threshold below 3.5 mW using a 980 nm continuous-wave pump laser. Finally, tuning of the laser wavelength is achieved by varying the electric voltage on the microelectrodes fabricated in the vicinity of a microring waveguide, showing an EO coefficient of 0.33 pm/V.