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Cited by 172Semiconductor Lasers and Optical DevicesPhotorefractive and Nonlinear OpticsPhotonic and Optical Devices

Integrated Pockels laser

Open access
Li, Mingxiao, Chang, Lin, Wu, Lue, Staffa, Jeremy, Ling, Jingwei, Javid, Usman A., Xue, Shixin, He, Yang +9 more·2022·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/s41467-022-33101-6PMC PMC9467990
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Abstract

The development of integrated semiconductor lasers has miniaturized traditional bulky laser systems, enabling a wide range of photonic applications. A progression from pure III-V based lasers to III-V/external cavity structures has harnessed low-loss waveguides in different material systems, leading to significant improvements in laser coherence and stability. Despite these successes, however, key functions remain absent. In this work, we address a critical missing function by integrating the Pockels effect into a semiconductor laser. Using a hybrid integrated III-V/Lithium Niobate structure, we demonstrate several essential capabilities that have not existed in previous integrated lasers. These include a record-high frequency modulation speed of 2 exahertz/s (2.0 × 10 18 Hz/s) and fast switching at 50 MHz, both of which are made possible by integration of the electro-optic effect. Moreover, the device co-lases at infrared and visible frequencies via the second-harmonic frequency conversion process, the first such integrated multi-color laser. Combined with its narrow linewidth and wide tunability, this new type of integrated laser holds promise for many applications including LiDAR, microwave photonics, atomic physics, and AR/VR.

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  • LNOI modulators provide low IL and have been integrated with sources and PD.

    “LNOI modulators57,68 provide low IL and have been integrated with sources and PD70.”

    From Roadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics (2024) · cites this paper as [70]

    The Results (Laser design; page unavailable) describe an LNOI external cavity with electro-optic modulation integrated with a III-V semiconductor optical amplifier, supporting integration with a light source. The passages do not describe integration with a photodetector (PD). The low-insertion-loss statement is attached to citations 57 and 68, not this source. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The most pure electro-optic modulation relies on the Pockels effect, which provides an intrinsically very high E/O BW, even exceeding 100 GHz.

    “The most ‘pure’ electro-optic modulation relies on the Pockels effect, which provides an intrinsically very high E/O BW, even exceeding 100 GHz57,67–70”

    From Roadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics (2024) · cites this paper as [70]

    The Results section ('Ultrafast frequency tuning and switching of the laser'; page unavailable) describes fast, low-parasitic-intensity electro-optic modulation using the Pockels effect. It does not state that the effect has an intrinsic electro-optic bandwidth exceeding 100 GHz; the reported laser-frequency modulation remains steady up to 600 MHz and begins to saturate beyond 700 MHz. Those device measurements do not establish a limit on the intrinsic effect. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Li, M., Chang, L., Wu, L., Staffa, J., Ling, J., Javid, U. A., Xue, S., He, Y., Lopez-rios, R., Morin, T. J., Wang, H., Shen, B., Zeng, S., Zhu, L., Vahala, K. J., Bowers, J. E., & Lin, Q.
Affiliations
  • University of Rochester (US)
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
  • California Institute of Technology (US)
  • Clemson University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Vahala, Kerry J.
  • Bowers, John E.
  • Lin, Qiang
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2022-09-12
Volume
13
Issue
1
Pages
5344-5344
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41467-022-33101-6
PMC
PMC9467990
OpenAlex
W4224980528
Cited by
172
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 40 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 51 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 3
FWCI
9.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (cc-by)
Funders
  • United States Department of Defense | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (No. HR001-20-2-0044)
  • National Science Foundation (ECCS-1810169, ECCS-184269)
  • United States Department of Defense | Defense Threat Reduction Agency (No. HDTRA11810047)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Semiconductor Lasers and Optical Devices
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Photorefractive and Nonlinear Optics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Photonic and Optical Devices
Keywords
integrated semiconductor laser, Pockels effect, electro-optic effect, lithium niobate, second harmonic generation, narrow linewidth, wavelength tuning, integrated photonics

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