Soliton microcombs in X-cut LiNbO3 microresonators
Abstract Chip-scale integration of optical frequency combs, particularly soliton microcombs, enables miniaturized instrumentation for timekeeping, ranging, and spectroscopy. Although soliton microcombs have been demonstrated on various material platforms, realizing complete comb functionality on pho...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2025-07-01
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| Series: | eLight |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43593-025-00093-x |
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| author | Binbin Nie Xiaomin Lv Chen Yang Rui Ma Kaixuan Zhu Ze Wang Yanwu Liu Zhenyu Xie Xing Jin Guanyu Zhang Du Qian Zhenyu Chen Qiang Luo Shuting Kang Guowei Lv Qihuang Gong Fang Bo Qi-Fan Yang |
| author_facet | Binbin Nie Xiaomin Lv Chen Yang Rui Ma Kaixuan Zhu Ze Wang Yanwu Liu Zhenyu Xie Xing Jin Guanyu Zhang Du Qian Zhenyu Chen Qiang Luo Shuting Kang Guowei Lv Qihuang Gong Fang Bo Qi-Fan Yang |
| author_sort | Binbin Nie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Chip-scale integration of optical frequency combs, particularly soliton microcombs, enables miniaturized instrumentation for timekeeping, ranging, and spectroscopy. Although soliton microcombs have been demonstrated on various material platforms, realizing complete comb functionality on photonic chips requires the co-integration of high-speed modulators and efficient frequency doublers, features that are available in a monolithic form on X-cut thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN). However, the pronounced Raman nonlinearity associated with extraordinary light in this platform has so far precluded soliton microcomb generation. Here, we report the generation of transverse-electric-polarized soliton microcombs with a 25 GHz repetition rate in high-Q microresonators on X-cut TFLN chips. By precisely orienting the racetrack microresonator relative to the optical axis, we mitigate Raman nonlinearity and enable soliton formation under continuous-wave laser pumping. Moreover, the soliton microcomb spectra are extended to 350 nm with pulsed laser pumping. This work expands the capabilities of TFLN photonics and paves the way for the monolithic integration of fast-tunable, self-referenced microcombs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-48bc70dc603f42da9d5f3bb462fee503 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2097-1710 2662-8643 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLight |
| spelling | doaj-art-48bc70dc603f42da9d5f3bb462fee5032025-08-20T04:01:53ZengSpringerOpeneLight2097-17102662-86432025-07-01511910.1186/s43593-025-00093-xSoliton microcombs in X-cut LiNbO3 microresonatorsBinbin Nie0Xiaomin Lv1Chen Yang2Rui Ma3Kaixuan Zhu4Ze Wang5Yanwu Liu6Zhenyu Xie7Xing Jin8Guanyu Zhang9Du Qian10Zhenyu Chen11Qiang Luo12Shuting Kang13Guowei Lv14Qihuang Gong15Fang Bo16Qi-Fan Yang17State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityNankai UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityNankai UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityNankai UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityNankai UniversityState Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructure and Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano-optoelectronics, School of Physics, Peking UniversityAbstract Chip-scale integration of optical frequency combs, particularly soliton microcombs, enables miniaturized instrumentation for timekeeping, ranging, and spectroscopy. Although soliton microcombs have been demonstrated on various material platforms, realizing complete comb functionality on photonic chips requires the co-integration of high-speed modulators and efficient frequency doublers, features that are available in a monolithic form on X-cut thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN). However, the pronounced Raman nonlinearity associated with extraordinary light in this platform has so far precluded soliton microcomb generation. Here, we report the generation of transverse-electric-polarized soliton microcombs with a 25 GHz repetition rate in high-Q microresonators on X-cut TFLN chips. By precisely orienting the racetrack microresonator relative to the optical axis, we mitigate Raman nonlinearity and enable soliton formation under continuous-wave laser pumping. Moreover, the soliton microcomb spectra are extended to 350 nm with pulsed laser pumping. This work expands the capabilities of TFLN photonics and paves the way for the monolithic integration of fast-tunable, self-referenced microcombs.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43593-025-00093-xThin film lithium niobateOptical frequency combOptical microresonatorNonlinear photonics |
| spellingShingle | Binbin Nie Xiaomin Lv Chen Yang Rui Ma Kaixuan Zhu Ze Wang Yanwu Liu Zhenyu Xie Xing Jin Guanyu Zhang Du Qian Zhenyu Chen Qiang Luo Shuting Kang Guowei Lv Qihuang Gong Fang Bo Qi-Fan Yang Soliton microcombs in X-cut LiNbO3 microresonators eLight Thin film lithium niobate Optical frequency comb Optical microresonator Nonlinear photonics |
| title | Soliton microcombs in X-cut LiNbO3 microresonators |
| title_full | Soliton microcombs in X-cut LiNbO3 microresonators |
| title_fullStr | Soliton microcombs in X-cut LiNbO3 microresonators |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soliton microcombs in X-cut LiNbO3 microresonators |
| title_short | Soliton microcombs in X-cut LiNbO3 microresonators |
| title_sort | soliton microcombs in x cut linbo3 microresonators |
| topic | Thin film lithium niobate Optical frequency comb Optical microresonator Nonlinear photonics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43593-025-00093-x |
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