A tantala ring resonator includes a tantala ring resonator formed by ion-beam sputtering of tantalum pentoxide and exhibiting an optical quality factor in excess of 3×106, and a substrate to which the tantala ring resonator is attached. A method for fabricating nonlinear photonic devices includes depositing tantalum pentoxide with ion-beam sputtering to form a tantala layer onto a substrate, annealing the tantala layer, and etching the tantala layer to form a photonic device.