Barium Titanate and Lithium Niobate Permittivity and Pockels Coefficients from MHz to Sub-THz Frequencies

Abstract

The Pockels effect is essential for controlling optical signals at the highest speeds, particularly for electro-optic modulators in photonic integrated circuits. Lithium niobate (LN) and barium titanate (BTO) are two excellent Pockels materials to this end. Here, we measure the Pockels coefficients and permittivity in LN and BTO over a continuous frequency range from 100 MHz to 330 GHz. These properties are constant across this frequency range in LN but have a significant frequency dependence in BTO. Still, our measurements show that BTO has remarkably large electro-optic properties compared to LN. Furthermore, we show how BTO devices can be designed with a flat electro-optic frequency response despite the Pockels coefficient dispersion. Finally, we expound our method for broadband characterization of these vital electro-optic properties, utilizing specialized integrated electro-optic phase shifters. Altogether, this work empowers the design of high-speed BTO devices and the development of new electro-optic materials.