Integrated thin film lithium niobate mid-infrared modulator

Abstract

The mid-infrared spectral range holds great promise for applications such as molecular spectroscopy and telecommunications. Many key molecules exhibit strong absorption features in this range, and free-space optical communication benefits from reduced atmospheric attenuation and low transmission losses in specific wavelength bands spanning from 3 to 14 $μm$. Recent progress in MIR photonics has been fuelled by the rapid development of efficient light sources and detectors. However, further advancement is hindered by the lack of low-loss, high-performance integrated photonic platforms and modulators. Lithium niobate on sapphire is a promising candidate, operating across a broad spectral range from 0.4 $μm$ to 4.5 $μm$. We demonstrate a broadband, high-speed lithium niobate on sapphire Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator operating from 3.95 to 4.3 $μm$. The device achieves a 3 dB bandwidth exceeding 20 GHz, an extinction ratio of 34 dB, and a half-wave voltage of 22 V$\cdot$cm, delivering optical output power at the half-milliwatt level. These properties are leveraged to demonstrate data transmission at 10 Gbit/s. The modulator is also used to generate a frequency comb with a width of 80 GHz. Furthermore, we demonstrate full $π$-phase modulation in the MIR, representing a key milestone for integrated MIR photonics. These results establish a pathway toward high-speed, energy-efficient MIR photonic systems for applications in telecommunications, sensing, and quantum technologies.