Widely FSR tunable high Q-factor microresonators formed at the intersection of straight optical fibers

Abstract

We present a class of high-Q tunable microresonators formed at the intersection of two straight silica optical fibers, whose free spectral range (FSR) can be widely tuned by fiber rotation. The proposed configuration avoids the limitations of traditional monolithic microresonators that lack FSR tunability required for a wide range of photonic applications. Using small rotation angles (1–15 mrad), we demonstrate a tunability of the FSR from 2 pm to 10 pm, enabled by microscale fiber displacements that reshape the resonator profile over millimeter scales. The proposed approach minimizes mechanical stress, supports miniaturization, and is suitable for integration with MEMS. It paves the way for the fabrication of tunable delay lines, ultralow repetition rate broadband frequency comb generators, and nonlocal optofluidic sensors on a chip.