Thin-film lithium niobate electro-optic modulators: To etch or not to etch
Abstract
This Perspective discusses and compares several different approaches to the design of high-bandwidth, low-voltage electro-optic devices, such as Mach–Zehnder modulators, made using thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) and strategies for their incorporation as part of a larger photonic integrated circuit (PIC).
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Surface topography requirements can be relaxed, and bonding strengthened using an intermediate adhesive, but thermal dissipation, long-term stability, optical power handling, and drift properties need to be studied further.
“Surface topography requirements can be relaxed, and bonding strengthened using an intermediate adhesive57–59 but thermal dissipation, long-term stability, optical power handling, and drift properties need to be studied further60.”
From Roadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics (2024) · cites this paper as [60]
Since the optical mode is controllably distributed in the unetched LN slab and edge Si rib waveguides, achieving a sharp bending radius for MRMs remains challenging.
“Since the optical mode is controllably distributed in the unetched LN slab and edge Si rib waveguides, achieving a sharp bending radius for MRMs remains challenging60.”
From Roadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics (2024) · cites this paper as [60]
Cites
Integrated lithium niobate electro-optic modulators operating at CMOS-compatible voltages
Wang, C., Zhang, M., Chen, X., Bertrand, M., Shams-Ansari, A., Chandrasekhar, S., Winzer, P., & Lončar, M. (2018) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0551-y · Cited by 2,593 · see citing works
He, M., Xu, M., Ren, Y., Jian, J., Ruan, Z., Xu, Y., Gao, S., Sun, S., Wen, X., Zhou, L., et al. (2019) · Nature Photonics · doi:10.1038/s41566-019-0378-6 · Cited by 1,204 · see citing works
Lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) for micro‐photonic devices
Poberaj, G., Hu, H., Sohler, W., & Günter, P. (2012) · Laser & Photonics Reviews · doi:10.1002/lpor.201100035 · Cited by 631 · see citing works
Zhao, J., Ma, C., Rüsing, M., & Mookherjea, S. (2020) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.124.163603 · Cited by 362 · see citing works
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Roadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics
Shekhar, S., Bogaerts, W., Chrostowski, L., Bowers, J. E., Hochberg, M., Soref, R., & Shastri, B. J. (2024) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-024-44750-0 · Cited by 878 · see citing works
Integrated Electro-Optics on Thin-Film Lithium Niobate
Hu, Y., Zhu, D., Lu, S., Zhu, X., Song, Y., Renaud, D., Assumpcao, D., Cheng, R., Xin, C. J., Yeh, M., et al. (2025) · Nature Reviews Physics · doi:10.1038/s42254-025-00825-5 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
- Authors
- Mookherjea, S., Mere, V., & Valdez, F.
- Affiliations
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Venue
- Applied Physics Letters
- Publisher
- AIP Publishing
- Published
- 2023-03-20
- Volume
- 122
- Issue
- 12
- ISSN
- 0003-6951 (ISSN-L)
- 1077-3118
- OpenAlex
- W4327953243
- Cited by
- 20
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 2
- FWCI
- 2.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- erratum (2023-05-09)
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Applied Physics Letters (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Government
- U.S. Department of Defense (HR0011048577)
- Topics
- 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
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Materials
- Keywords
- thin-film lithium niobate, electro-optic modulator, Mach-Zehnder modulator, etching, photonic integrated circuits, modulator design
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