Ultracompact high-Q whispering gallery mode microresonator in a non-closed waveguide path

Integrated photonic circuits are foundational for versatile applications, where high-performance traveling-wave optical resonators are critical. Conventional whispering-gallery mode microresonators (WGMRs) confine light in closed-loop waveguide paths, thus inevitably occupying large footprints. Here, we report an ultracompact high-loaded Q silicon photonic WGMR in an open curved path instead. By leveraging spatial mode multiplexing, low-loss mode converter-based photonic routers enable reentrant photon recycling in a single non-closed waveguide. The fabricated device achieves a measured loaded Q-factor of 1.78 × 10⁵ at 1554.3 nm with a 1.05 nm free spectral range in a ultracompact footprint of 0.00137 mm²-6× smaller than standard WGMRs while delivering 100× higher Q-factor than photonic crystal counterparts. This work pioneers dense integration of high-performance WGMR arrays through open-path mode recirculation.