Photonics researchers report breakthrough in miniaturizing light-based chips

Nanowerk  August 27, 2020
Researchers at the University of Rochester made an important step towards miniaturizing functional components on thin-film lithium niobate (LN) platform by developing high-speed LN electro-optic modulators, based upon photonic crystal nanobeam resonators. The devices exhibit a significant tuning efficiency, broad modulation bandwidth of 17.5 GHz, all with a tiny electro-optic modal volume. The modulators enable efficient electro-optic driving of high-Q photonic cavity modes in both adiabatic and non-adiabatic regimes and allow electro-optic switching at 11 Gb s−1 with a bit-switching energy as low as 22 fJ. The demonstration provides a crucial foundation for realizing large-scale LN photonic integrated circuits that are important for broad applications in data communication, microwave photonics, and quantum photonics…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE

A schematic drawing shows an electro-optical modulator developed in the lab… Credit: Image: Michael Osadciw

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