Ultrabroadband integrated electro-optic frequency comb in lithium tantalate.

The integrated frequency comb generator based on Kerr parametric oscillation has led to chip-scale, gigahertz-spaced combs with new applications spanning hyperscale telecommunications, low-noise microwave synthesis, light detection and ranging, and astrophysical spectrometer calibration. Recent progress in lithium niobate (LiNbO) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has resulted in chip-scale, electro-optic (EO) frequency combs, offering precise comb-line positioning and simple operation without relying on the formation of dissipative Kerr solitons. However, current integrated EO combs face limited spectral coverage due to the large microwave power required to drive the non-resonant capacitive electrodes and the strong intrinsic birefringence of LiNbO.

Lithium tantalate photonic integrated circuits for volume manufacturing.

Electro-optical photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on lithium niobate (LiNbO) have demonstrated the vast capabilities of materials with a high Pockels coefficient. They enable linear and high-speed modulators operating at complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor voltage levels to be used in applications including data-centre communications, high-performance computing and photonic accelerators for AI. However, industrial use of this technology is hindered by the high cost per wafer and the limited wafer size.

Photonic-electronic integrated circuit-based coherent LiDAR engine.

Chip-scale integration is a key enabler for the deployment of photonic technologies. Coherent laser ranging or FMCW LiDAR, a perception technology that benefits from instantaneous velocity and distance detection, eye-safe operation, long-range, and immunity to interference. However, wafer-scale integration of these systems has been challenged by stringent requirements on laser coherence, frequency agility, and the necessity for optical amplifiers.

High density lithium niobate photonic integrated circuits.

Photonic integrated circuits have the potential to pervade into multiple applications traditionally limited to bulk optics. Of particular interest for new applications are ferroelectrics such as Lithium Niobate, which exhibit a large Pockels effect, but are difficult to process via dry etching. Here we demonstrate that diamond-like carbon (DLC) is a superior material for the manufacturing of photonic integrated circuits based on ferroelectrics, specifically LiNbO.