An electro-optic waveform interconnect based on quantum interference

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel electro-optic waveform interconnect leveraging quantum interference to achieve highly efficient, arbitrary-waveform modulation, potentially transforming optical communication and information processing systems.

Contribution

It proposes a new quantum interference-based mechanism for electro-optic modulation, enabling efficient and arbitrary waveform control in optical interconnects.

Findings

Achieves high-efficiency modulation of optical absorption

Enables arbitrary waveform generation via quantum interference

Potentially reduces size and power consumption of EOMs

Abstract

The ability to modulate an optical field via an electric field is regarded as a key function of electro-optic interconnects, which are used in optical communications and information processing systems. One of the main required devices for such interconnects is the electro-optic modulator (EOM). Current EOM based on the electro-optic effect and the electro-absorption effect often is bulky and power inefficient due to the weak electro-optic properties of its constituent materials. Here we propose a new mechanism to produce an arbitrary-waveform EOM based on the quantum interference, in which both the real and imaginary parts of the susceptibility are engineered coherently with the superhigh efficiency. Based on this EOM, a waveform interconnect from the voltage to the modulated optical absorption is realised. We expect that such a new type of electro-optic interconnect will have a broad range of applications including the optical communications and network.