Advanced Electrode Design for Low-Voltage High-Speed Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Modulators

In this paper, we present a novel transmission line architecture in thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) platforms to improve the velocity match between the microwave and the optical wave. Compared to conventional coplanar waveguide (CPW), the microwave index (<inline-formula><tex-math notation...

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Main Authors: Xingrui Huang, Yang Liu, Zezheng Li, Huan Guan, Qingquan Wei, Zhiguo Yu, Zhiyong Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2021-01-01
Series:IEEE Photonics Journal
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Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9378945/
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author Xingrui Huang
Yang Liu
Zezheng Li
Huan Guan
Qingquan Wei
Zhiguo Yu
Zhiyong Li
author_facet Xingrui Huang
Yang Liu
Zezheng Li
Huan Guan
Qingquan Wei
Zhiguo Yu
Zhiyong Li
author_sort Xingrui Huang
collection DOAJ
description In this paper, we present a novel transmission line architecture in thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) platforms to improve the velocity match between the microwave and the optical wave. Compared to conventional coplanar waveguide (CPW), the microwave index (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n_m$</tex-math></inline-formula>) of the proposed slotted electrodes can be optimized from 2.1 to 3 while maintaining the high modulation efficiency and 50-<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Omega$</tex-math></inline-formula> impedance match. Equivalent-circuit model analysis and finite-element simulation are performed. The simulated half-wave voltage (V<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_\pi$</tex-math></inline-formula>) of 1.2&#x00A0;V and E-O modulation bandwidth greater than 80&#x00A0;GHz is obtained for a 2-cm-long modulator. By utilizing the slotted slow-wave electrode, TFLN Mach-Zehnder modulators with CMOS-compatible operating voltage and 3-dB modulation bandwidth greater than 100&#x00A0;GHz are potentialized.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1943-0655
language English
publishDate 2021-01-01
publisher IEEE
record_format Article
series IEEE Photonics Journal
spelling doaj-art-b0d33e19138e4a89ac2411a7e202aefe2025-08-20T03:33:14ZengIEEEIEEE Photonics Journal1943-06552021-01-011321910.1109/JPHOT.2021.30661599378945Advanced Electrode Design for Low-Voltage High-Speed Thin-Film Lithium Niobate ModulatorsXingrui Huang0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0192-7193Yang Liu1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8041-7062Zezheng Li2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1088-8667Huan Guan3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7320-9559Qingquan Wei4Zhiguo Yu5Zhiyong Li6State Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory on Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaIn this paper, we present a novel transmission line architecture in thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) platforms to improve the velocity match between the microwave and the optical wave. Compared to conventional coplanar waveguide (CPW), the microwave index (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n_m$</tex-math></inline-formula>) of the proposed slotted electrodes can be optimized from 2.1 to 3 while maintaining the high modulation efficiency and 50-<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Omega$</tex-math></inline-formula> impedance match. Equivalent-circuit model analysis and finite-element simulation are performed. The simulated half-wave voltage (V<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_\pi$</tex-math></inline-formula>) of 1.2&#x00A0;V and E-O modulation bandwidth greater than 80&#x00A0;GHz is obtained for a 2-cm-long modulator. By utilizing the slotted slow-wave electrode, TFLN Mach-Zehnder modulators with CMOS-compatible operating voltage and 3-dB modulation bandwidth greater than 100&#x00A0;GHz are potentialized.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9378945/Electro-optical systemsoptical interconnectswaveguide devices
spellingShingle Xingrui Huang
Yang Liu
Zezheng Li
Huan Guan
Qingquan Wei
Zhiguo Yu
Zhiyong Li
Advanced Electrode Design for Low-Voltage High-Speed Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Modulators
IEEE Photonics Journal
Electro-optical systems
optical interconnects
waveguide devices
title Advanced Electrode Design for Low-Voltage High-Speed Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Modulators
title_full Advanced Electrode Design for Low-Voltage High-Speed Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Modulators
title_fullStr Advanced Electrode Design for Low-Voltage High-Speed Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Modulators
title_full_unstemmed Advanced Electrode Design for Low-Voltage High-Speed Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Modulators
title_short Advanced Electrode Design for Low-Voltage High-Speed Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Modulators
title_sort advanced electrode design for low voltage high speed thin film lithium niobate modulators
topic Electro-optical systems
optical interconnects
waveguide devices
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9378945/
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