Researchers at the University of Rochester developed an electro-optical modulator using a thin film of lithium niobate (LN) bonded on a silicon dioxide layer. The resulting electro-optical modulator is described as the smallest such device ever created, potentially paving the way for large-scale LN photonic integrated circuits.
The modulator project builds upon the lab’s previous use of lithium niobate to create a photonic nanocavity—another key component in photonic chips.
The research is supported by the National Science Foundation, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Fabrication of the device was done in part at the Cornell NanoScale Facility.
