Lithium niobate photonics: Unlocking the electromagnetic spectrum

Abstract

Lithium niobate (LN), first synthesized 70 years ago, has been widely used in diverse applications ranging from communications to quantum optics. These high-volume commercial applications have provided the economic means to establish a mature manufacturing and processing industry for high-quality LN crystals and wafers. Breakthrough science demonstrations to commercial products have been achieved owing to the ability of LN to generate and manipulate electromagnetic waves across a broad spectrum, from microwave to ultraviolet frequencies. Here, we provide a high-level Review of the history of LN as an optical material, its different photonic platforms, engineering concepts, spectral coverage, and essential applications before providing an outlook for the future of LN.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jan 06, 2023
Source ID
10.1126/science.abj4396

Entities

People

  • Andreas Boes
  • Arnan Mitchell
  • Carsten Langrock
  • John E. Bowers
  • Lin Chang
  • Marko Loncar
  • Martin M. Fejer
  • Mengjie Yu
  • Mian Zhang
  • Qiang Lin

Organizations

  • Harvard University
  • Peking University
  • RMIT University
  • Stanford University
  • University of Adelaide
  • University of California, Santa Barbara
  • University of Rochester
  • University of Southern California

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Quantum Dot Semiconductor Device Photonics and Graphene Optoelectronic Materials and THz Physics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Quantum Computing