Objectives

Outcome:

An integrated thin film lithium niobate photonic platform that exhibits ultra-high quality factors and ultra-low optical loss for telecommunications.

Objective structures:

A thin film structure incorporating waveguide and resonator geometries.

Objective properties:

Extremely low propagation loss (~0.2 dB/m) and exceptionally high material-limited quality factor (up to 1.6 × 10^8), with well-characterized nonlinear refractive indices.

Key metrics:

  • Material-Limited Quality Factor: 163 × 10^6
  • Propagation Loss: 0.2 dB/m
  • Nonlinear Refractive Index (n2): 1.67 × 10^-19 m^2/W

Procedures

Post-Fabrication Annealing Process
Anneal Resonators in O2 Atmosphere
Equipment:
  • Furnace
  • O2 gas supply
Secondary Cladding and Re-annealing for Sample C
Equipment:
  • ICPCVD system
Micro-ring Resonator Fabrication
Prepare LN Thin-Film Substrate
Equipment:
  • LN thin-film wafer
Patterning and Etching
Equipment:
  • Electron-beam lithography system
  • Reactive ion etcher
Cladding via Plasma-Enhanced CVD
Equipment:
  • Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system
Kerr-Calibrated Absorption Rate Calibration
Determine Photorefractive (PR) Effect Timescale
Equipment:
  • Optical pump source
  • Probe laser
Perform Modulated Pump-Probe Measurement
Equipment:
  • Laser sources (~1550 nm)
  • Modulation system
Calibrate Intracavity Power Density and Kerr Modulation
Equipment:
  • Heterodyne measurement setup
  • Acousto-optic modulators
  • Real-time spectrum analyzer
n2 Measurement via Pump-Probe on Auxiliary z-cut Sample
Configure Pump-Probe Setup
Equipment:
  • Pump-probe optical setup
  • Heterodyne measurement system
Measure Intracavity Power Density Modulation
Equipment:
  • Acousto-optic modulators
  • Photodetectors
Calibrate Kerr-Induced Frequency Modulation
Equipment:
  • Phase modulator
  • Spectrum analyzer
Evaluate Nonlinear Refractive Index (n2)
Equipment:
  • Data analysis tools
  • Simulation data