Lithium Niobate Electro-Optic Modulation Device without an Overlay Layer Based on Bound States in the Continuum

Micromachines (Basel). 2024 Apr 12;15(4):516. doi: 10.3390/mi15040516.

Abstract

Electro-optic modulation devices are essential components in the field of integrated optical chips. High-speed, low-loss electro-optic modulation devices represent a key focus for future developments in integrated optical chip technology, and they have seen significant advancements in both commercial and laboratory settings in recent years. Current electro-optic modulation devices typically employ architectures based on thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN), traveling-wave electrodes, and impedance-matching layers, which still suffer from transmission losses and overall design limitations. In this paper, we demonstrate a lithium niobate electro-optic modulation device based on bound states in the continuum, featuring a non-overlay structure. This device exhibits a transmission loss of approximately 1.3 dB/cm, a modulation bandwidth of up to 9.2 GHz, and a minimum half-wave voltage of only 3.3 V.

Keywords: bound states in the continuum; lithium niobate electro-optic modulator; thin-film lithium niobate.

Grants and funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.