Acousto-optic modulation of a wavelength-scale waveguide

TL;DR

This paper presents a highly efficient, compact acousto-optic modulator using a wavelength-scale waveguide in lithium niobate, enabling advanced low-power optical devices with improved performance.

Contribution

It introduces a collinear acousto-optic modulator with high confinement in a suspended lithium niobate waveguide, significantly enhancing efficiency and device performance.

Findings

Orders of magnitude improvement in figure-of-merit

Demonstration of a compact, low-power modulator

Potential for novel optical device applications

Abstract

We demonstrate a collinear acousto-optic modulator in a suspended film of lithium niobate employing a high-confinement, wavelength-scale waveguide. By strongly confining the optical and mechanical waves, this modulator improves by orders of magnitude a figure-of-merit that accounts for both acousto-optic and electro-mechanical efficiency. Our device demonstration marks a significant technological advance in acousto-optics that promises a novel class of compact and low-power frequency shifters, tunable filters, non-magnetic isolators, and beam deflectors.