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Photonic integration based on a ferroelectric thin-film platform
Shunsuke Abe1, Tomoki Joichi1, Kouichiro Uekusa1
1Advantest Laboratories, Ltd., 48-1 Matsubara, Kamiayashi, Aobaku, Sendai, Miyagi, 989-3124, Japan.
Scientific Reports
|November 14, 2019
Summary
This study presents a novel ferroelectric photonic-integrated circuit (PIC) platform. The integrated device demonstrates high-speed optical modulation and variable optical attenuation, paving the way for advanced photonic integration.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Materials Science
- Integrated Optics and Optoelectronics
- Ferroelectric Thin Films
Background:
- Ferroelectric materials offer large electro-optic coefficients, crucial for advanced photonic-integrated circuits (PICs).
- Existing PIC platforms face challenges in achieving high performance and integration density.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate a novel PIC using a ferroelectric thin-film platform.
- To integrate key photonic components, including a high-speed optical modulator and a variable optical attenuator (VOA).
Main Methods:
- Epitaxial growth of ferroelectric lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) thin film via a modified sol-gel method.
- Fabrication of a Mach-Zehnder type optical modulator and a VOA on the PLZT platform.
- Characterization of electro-optic coefficients, propagation loss, and modulation performance.
Main Results:
- PLZT thin film exhibited large electro-optic coefficients (>120 pm/V) and low propagation loss (1.1 dB/cm).
- The integrated optical modulator achieved a half-wave voltage (VπL) of 4.5 Vcm and supported optical modulation up to 56 Gb/s.
- A VOA with an attenuation range exceeding 26 dB was successfully integrated with the modulator.
Conclusions:
- The developed ferroelectric PLZT platform enables high-performance photonic integration.
- This work demonstrates the potential of ferroelectric thin films for creating compact and efficient PICs.
- The integrated components show promise for various applications requiring high-speed optical modulation and attenuation.
