Experts Discuss the Future of Optical Modulators and Integrated Photonics in IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics

An illustrated panel of leading industry and academic experts from the USA shared their viewpoints in the interview

PISCATAWAY, N.J., Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Optical and photonic modulators are technologically advanced devices that enable the manipulation of light properties—such as power and phase—based on input signals. Silicon photonic modulators have wide-ranging applications, from optical data communication to artificial intelligence (AI). However, these modulators face bandwidth limitations and operational robustness issues, stemming from the fundamental properties of silicon and other practical constraints.

The interview, titled "The Future of Optical Modulation," was published in Volume 30, Issue 4 of the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics on September 5, 2024. Experts included Professor Di Liang, who has been conducting research and product development on silicon photonics (SiPh) and heterogeneous photonic integration for over 17 years. Dr. Mengyue Xu, an established researcher specializing in lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) devices and silicon photonics at the University of Michigan; Dr. Long Chen, currently a Distinguished Engineer at Cisco and earlier at Acacia; Dr. Haisheng Rong, a Senior Principal Engineer and R&D Manager at Intel Labs; and Dr. Andreas Bechtolsheim, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems and Arista Networks, were among the other experts.

The panel emphasized the necessity of moving beyond traditional platforms such as bulk silicon, indium phosphide, and conventional LiNbO₃. They noted that diversity in materials used, fabrication processes, and photonic integrated circuit design is a crucial driver for innovations in this field. This shift is leading to the development of exciting new modulator materials, configurations, and integration technologies, including thin-film LiNbO₃, III-V external modulated lasers, thin-film barium titanate (BTO)-based modulators, and vertical metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor (MOSCAP) structures.

These new developments are expected to significantly impact numerous emerging next-generation applications, such as AI, quantum information processing, augmented reality/virtual reality, neuromorphic computing, frequency-modulated continuous wave LIDAR, microwave photonics, as well as metrology and spectroscopy. Notably, thin-film LiNbO₃ modulators show promise for quantum-classical interfaces in superconducting circuits.

They also highlight that technological bottlenecks, high production costs, non-uniformity in devices, substantial time investment, and lack of standardized procedures are some of the challenges in this field. Overcoming these issues requires the development of a comprehensive co-design capability and platform, which necessitates collaboration among photonic and electrical chip designers, vendors, foundries, as well as packaging and testing service providers.

Sharing his concluding thoughts, Prof. Liang says, "The unprecedented surge in AI and the current global geopolitical situation have led to increased investment in semiconductor technology. This has resulted in more funding opportunities for collaboration between academia and industry. By seizing this opportunity, we can ensure a continuous flow of innovations to propel the technology forward and revolutionize this field."

Reference
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2024.3448914

Title of original paper: The Future of Optical Modulation

Journal: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics

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SOURCE IEEE Photonics Society