US Patent 9831360 Integrated thermal stabilization of a microring resonator

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide devices and methods involving the thermal stabilization of microring resonators, such as microring modulators. Power is measured via an on-chip photodetector integrated with a drop port of the microring resonator, providing a local measurement of average power. This average power is employed as a feedback measure to actively control a heater that is integrated with the microring resonator, in order to stabilize the resonant wavelength of the microring resonator in the presence of thermal fluctuations. Employing such a system, a microring modulator can maintain error-free performance under thermal fluctuations that would normally render it inoperable.