Scalable photonic-phonoinc integrated circuitry for reconfigurable signal processing

Abstract The interaction between photons and phonons plays a crucial role in broad areas ranging from optical sources and modulators to quantum transduction and metrology. The performance can be further improved using integrated photonic-phononic devices, promising enhanced interaction strength and...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Liang Zhang, Chaohan Cui, Yongzhou Xue, Paokang Chen, Linran Fan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57922-3
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849389898501455872
author Liang Zhang
Chaohan Cui
Yongzhou Xue
Paokang Chen
Linran Fan
author_facet Liang Zhang
Chaohan Cui
Yongzhou Xue
Paokang Chen
Linran Fan
author_sort Liang Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The interaction between photons and phonons plays a crucial role in broad areas ranging from optical sources and modulators to quantum transduction and metrology. The performance can be further improved using integrated photonic-phononic devices, promising enhanced interaction strength and large-scale integration. While the enhanced interaction has been widely demonstrated, it is challenging to realize large-scale integrated photonic-phononic circuits due to material limitations. Here, we resolve this critical issue by using gallium nitride on sapphire for scalable photonic-phononic integrated circuits. Both optical and acoustic fields are confined in sub-wavelength scales without suspended structures. This enables us to achieve the efficient launching, flexible routing, and reconfigruable processing of optical and acoustic fields simultaneously. With the controlled photonic-phononic interaction and strong piezoelectric effect, we further demonstrate the reconfigurable conversion between frequency-multiplexed RF and optical signals mediated by acoustics. This work provides an ideal platform for achieving ultimate performance of photonic-phononic hybrid systems with high efficiency, multiple functions, and large scalability.
format Article
id doaj-art-32d2d44796e4444b8ad91e095b288470
institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-32d2d44796e4444b8ad91e095b2884702025-08-20T03:41:49ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-011611610.1038/s41467-025-57922-3Scalable photonic-phonoinc integrated circuitry for reconfigurable signal processingLiang Zhang0Chaohan Cui1Yongzhou Xue2Paokang Chen3Linran Fan4Chandra Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at AustinWyant College of Optical Sciences, The University of ArizonaWyant College of Optical Sciences, The University of ArizonaChandra Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at AustinChandra Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at AustinAbstract The interaction between photons and phonons plays a crucial role in broad areas ranging from optical sources and modulators to quantum transduction and metrology. The performance can be further improved using integrated photonic-phononic devices, promising enhanced interaction strength and large-scale integration. While the enhanced interaction has been widely demonstrated, it is challenging to realize large-scale integrated photonic-phononic circuits due to material limitations. Here, we resolve this critical issue by using gallium nitride on sapphire for scalable photonic-phononic integrated circuits. Both optical and acoustic fields are confined in sub-wavelength scales without suspended structures. This enables us to achieve the efficient launching, flexible routing, and reconfigruable processing of optical and acoustic fields simultaneously. With the controlled photonic-phononic interaction and strong piezoelectric effect, we further demonstrate the reconfigurable conversion between frequency-multiplexed RF and optical signals mediated by acoustics. This work provides an ideal platform for achieving ultimate performance of photonic-phononic hybrid systems with high efficiency, multiple functions, and large scalability.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57922-3
spellingShingle Liang Zhang
Chaohan Cui
Yongzhou Xue
Paokang Chen
Linran Fan
Scalable photonic-phonoinc integrated circuitry for reconfigurable signal processing
Nature Communications
title Scalable photonic-phonoinc integrated circuitry for reconfigurable signal processing
title_full Scalable photonic-phonoinc integrated circuitry for reconfigurable signal processing
title_fullStr Scalable photonic-phonoinc integrated circuitry for reconfigurable signal processing
title_full_unstemmed Scalable photonic-phonoinc integrated circuitry for reconfigurable signal processing
title_short Scalable photonic-phonoinc integrated circuitry for reconfigurable signal processing
title_sort scalable photonic phonoinc integrated circuitry for reconfigurable signal processing
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57922-3
work_keys_str_mv AT liangzhang scalablephotonicphonoincintegratedcircuitryforreconfigurablesignalprocessing
AT chaohancui scalablephotonicphonoincintegratedcircuitryforreconfigurablesignalprocessing
AT yongzhouxue scalablephotonicphonoincintegratedcircuitryforreconfigurablesignalprocessing
AT paokangchen scalablephotonicphonoincintegratedcircuitryforreconfigurablesignalprocessing
AT linranfan scalablephotonicphonoincintegratedcircuitryforreconfigurablesignalprocessing