Integrated Pockels laser
Abstract
The development of integrated semiconductor lasers has miniaturized traditional bulky laser systems, enabling a wide range of photonic applications. A progression from pure III-V based lasers to III-V/external cavity structures has harnessed low-loss waveguides in different material systems, leading to significant improvements in laser coherence and stability. Despite these successes, however, key functions remain absent. In this work, we address a critical missing function by integrating the Pockels effect into a semiconductor laser. Using a hybrid integrated III-V/Lithium Niobate structure, we demonstrate several essential capabilities that have not existed in previous integrated lasers. These include a record-high frequency modulation speed of 2 exahertz/s (2.0 × 1018 Hz/s) and fast switching at 50 MHz, both of which are made possible by integration of the electro-optic effect. Moreover, the device co-lases at infrared and visible frequencies via the second-harmonic frequency conversion process, the first such integrated multi-color laser. Combined with its narrow linewidth and wide tunability, this new type of integrated laser holds promise for many applications including LiDAR, microwave photonics, atomic physics, and AR/VR.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Sep 12, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s41467-022-33101-6
Entities
People
- Boqiang Shen
- Heming Wang
- Jeremy Staffa
- Jingwei Ling
- John E. Bowers
- Kerry Vahala
- Lin Chang
- Lue Wu
- Mingxiao Li
- Qiang Lin
- Raymond Lopez-rios
- Shixin Xue
- Siwei Zeng
- Theodore J. Morin
- Usman A. Javid
- Yang He
- Zhu Lin
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- National Science Foundation
- United States Department of Defense