Lithium niobate thin film electro-optic modulator

Liu Jikun; Qu Lun; Wu Wei; Jin Chunyan; Chen Zhihao; Gu Zhidong; Liu Weiye; Wang Chenxiong; Zheng Dahuai; Liu Hongde; Cai Wei; Ren Mengxin; Xu Jingjun

doi:10.1515/nanoph-2023-0865

Nanophotonics (Feb 2024)

Lithium niobate thin film electro-optic modulator

Liu Jikun,
Qu Lun,
Wu Wei,
Jin Chunyan,
Chen Zhihao,
Gu Zhidong,
Liu Weiye,
Wang Chenxiong,
Zheng Dahuai,
Liu Hongde,
Cai Wei,
Ren Mengxin,
Xu Jingjun

Affiliations

Liu Jikun: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Qu Lun: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Wu Wei: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Jin Chunyan: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Chen Zhihao: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Gu Zhidong: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Liu Weiye: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Wang Chenxiong: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Zheng Dahuai: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Liu Hongde: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Cai Wei: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Ren Mengxin: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China
Xu Jingjun: The Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Ministry of Education, School of Physics and TEDA Applied Physics Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin300071, People’s Republic of China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2023-0865
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 13, no. 8
pp. 1503 – 1508

Abstract

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The linear electro-optic effect offers a valuable means to control light properties via an external electric field. Lithium niobate (LN), with its high electro-optic coefficients and broad optical transparency ranges, stands out as a prominent material for efficient electro-optic modulators. The recent advent of lithium niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) wafers has sparked renewed interest in LN for compact photonic devices. In this study, we present an electro-optic modulator utilizing a thin LN film sandwiched between top and bottom gold (Au) film electrodes, forming a Fabry–Pérot (F–P) resonator. This resonator exhibits spectral resonance shifts under an applied electric field, enabling efficient modulation of reflected light strength. The modulator achieved a 2.3 % modulation amplitude under ±10 V alternating voltage. Our approach not only presents a simpler fabrication process but also offers larger modulation amplitudes compared to previously reported metasurface based LN electro-optic modulators. Our results open up new opportunities for compact electro-optic modulators with applications in beam steering devices, dynamic holograms, and spatial light modulators, and more.

Published in Nanophotonics

ISSN: 2192-8606 (Print); 2192-8614 (Online)
Publisher: De Gruyter
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Science: Physics
Website: https://www.degruyter.com/journal/key/nanoph/html#submit

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