Research Article Vol. 32, No.

4 / 12 Feb 2024 / Optics Express 5410

Ultra-compact acousto-optic modulation using

on-chip integrated Bragg gratings on lithium
niobate-chalcogenide hybrid platform
Z HIQIANG YANG , 1 D ONG L IU , 1 S IQING Z ENG , 1 S HUIXIAN YANG , 1
Q INGMING C HEN , 1 Z HENSHI C HEN , 2 L EI WAN , 3 AND YAN L I 1,4
1 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Information Processing Chips and Systems, Sun
Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
2 School of Electronic Information, Huzhou College, Huzhou, Zhejiang, 313002, China
3 Department of Electronic Engineering, College of Information Science and Technology, Jinan University,
Guangzhou 510632, China
4 liyan329@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Abstract: An ultra-compact and efficient acousto-optic modulator based on a thin-film lithium

niobate-chalcogenide (ChG) hybrid platform was designed and realized. In this approach, π
phase-shift Bragg grating has an ultra-short effective interaction length of only ∼ 300 µm and
a compact footprint of 200 × 300 µm2 . The strong microwave-acoustic coupling and superior
photo-elastic property of the ChG allow us to achieve a half-wave voltage of V π = 1.08 V (4.07 V)
for the π phase-shift Bragg grating (waveguide Bragg grating), corresponding to V π L = 0.03 V·cm
(0.09 V·cm). This acousto-optic modulator exhibits a compact size, and low power consumption,
and can be used for on-chip optical interconnects and microwave photonics.

© 2024 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement

1. Introduction
Acousto-optic (AO) is a versatile technology that can be used to precisely and quickly control
the wavelength, amplitude, and propagation direction of light waves [1–4]. In fact, traditional
AO devices based on bulk piezoelectric materials face challenges in terms of size and energy
consumption, making them incompatible with rapidly evolving photonic integrated circuits.
To meet the requirements of low power consumption and high integration, there has been a
growing interest in the research of high-performance on-chip AO devices [5–9]. In recent years,
researchers have developed AO modulators based on various material systems such as aluminum
nitride [10,11], zinc oxide [12], and gallium arsenide [13,14]. Among these materials, lithium
niobate (LN) shows great potential as one of the most attractive materials for AO devices due to
its piezoelectric advantages [15,16]. In addition, it possesses exceptional electro-optic, nonlinear,
and AO properties, a wide transparency window, and a relatively high refractive index [17,18].
To date, several impressive on-chip AO modulators based on thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN)
with different waveguide structures have been reported [19–21], such as TFLN-based Mach-
Zehnder interferometers (MZIs), microring resonators, and photonic crystal AO modulators, all of
which have shown strong modulation effects [22,23]. However, as an AO medium, the moderate
elasto-optic (EO) coefficient of LN (p31 = 0.17) limits the modulation efficiency of the device,
while chalcogenide glass (ChG) exhibits a higher refractive index and EO coefficient (As2 S3 :
p11 ≈p12 ≈0.3) than LN [24]. Therefore, the TFLN-ChG heterogeneously integrated waveguide
platform is expected to demonstrate a more efficient AO modulation scheme. In our previous
work, we investigated push-pull MZI and microring AO modulators based on TFLN-ChG hybrid
waveguide platforms, and an effective half-wave voltage-length product V π ·L of 0.02V·cm is
experimentally demonstrated [25,26].

#510759 https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.510759
Journal © 2024 Received 3 Nov 2023; revised 20 Dec 2023; accepted 28 Dec 2023; published 31 Jan 2024
 Research Article Vol. 32, No. 4 / 12 Feb 2024 / Optics Express 5411

In addition to modulation efficiency, the compact size of the on-chip AO modulator is also
an important evaluation factor. For representative integrated AO modulators based on MZI
or microring resonators, large-sized unit components such as splitters, couplers, and curved
waveguides are often used to form planar interference waveguides, resulting in a relatively
large device footprint [27,28]. Therefore, the development of AO modulators without curved
waveguide structures can reduce the device footprint. For example, photonic crystal nanobeams
as collinear and compact waveguide configurations have been tried to improve AO interactions
due to the advantages of photon-phonon resonance [29,30]. Waveguide Bragg grating (WBG)
and Fabry-Perot (F-P) cavities are also expected to show efficient AO modulation performance
[31,32].
In this letter, we propose an AO modulator based on a TFLN-ChG integrated waveguide
platform, in which the photon transmission structure is based on two kinds of waveguide grating:
waveguide Bragg grating (WBG) and π phase-shifted Bragg grating (π-PSBG) to optimize and
obtain high AO modulation efficiency. We employ a carefully designed interdigital transducer
(IDT) for efficient microwave-to-acoustic conversion, achieving a V π ·L as low as 0.03V·cm.
Thanks to the utilization of a π-PSBG with a length of just 300 µm, our AO modulator exhibits
a compact device structure with a footprint of only 200 × 300 µm2 . This indicates that our
modulator achieves comparable modulation efficiency to current state-of-the-art on-chip AO
modulators while occupying a significantly smaller footprint. By leveraging the TFLN-ChG
integrated waveguide platform and the compact device footprint, we open up a new possibility
for achieving high-performance AO modulation in a miniaturized footprint.

2. Structures and analysis

Figure 1 depicts the schematic diagrams of the two proposed AO devices, which utilize waveguide
gratings implemented on X-cut TFLN wafers (manufactured by NANOLN Ltd.). The waveguide
direction corresponds to the Y direction of the crystal, while the aperture direction of the IDT
aligns with the Z direction. The hybrid waveguide is composed of an 850 nm Ge25 Sb10 S65
(one of the ChGs) rectangular waveguide and a 400 nm TFLN slab. The refractive index of
amorphous ChG (n = 2.19) is slightly larger than that of the LN crystal (ne = 2.13) at 1550 nm.
The waveguide width ranges from 1.4 µm to 3.0 µm, with the latter representing the width of
the waveguide tapers at the input and output ends of the waveguide. The structure diagrams
of WBG and π-PSBG are shown in Figs. 1(a) and 1(b), respectively. The WBG consists of
a photonic waveguide grating with a constant period of Λ and cycle number of N, while the
π-PSBG device is made of a central segment for phase shift plus two uniform half-cycle WBG
where the length of the phase-shifted region is exactly Λ. An IDT is placed beside the waveguide
to excite the surface acoustic wave (SAW) that causes the waveguide to deform. A cross-section
of the designed device is shown in Fig. 1(c), where the ChG strip and TFLN are placed on top of
a 2 µm SiO2 layer.
To analyze the device performance and optimize its structural parameters, we conduct numerical
simulations for the acoustic and optical modes. Figure 2(a) displays the numerical simulation
result of the dominant Sxx strain component of the SAW mode at 0.844 GHz on the TFLN-ChG
heterogeneous-integration waveguide platform. The acoustic wave propagates along the surface of
the TFLN and reaches the ChG waveguide, causing the deformation of the waveguide. Since ChG
is amorphous, it exhibits strong absorption and scattering properties during SAW transmission,
resulting in almost complete energy dissipation of SAW through the ChG waveguide.
The optical modes in the waveguide are depicted in Figs. 2(b) and 2(c). The TE modes embody
effective refractive indices of 2.06 and 2.08, corresponding to waveguide widths of 1.4 and
2.0 µm, respectively. According to the calculation formula of WBG,

λ = 2neff Λ (1)
 Research Article Vol. 32, No. 4 / 12 Feb 2024 / Optics Express 5412

Fig. 1. (a) Schematic of the proposed integrated WBG AO modulator; (b) Schematic of
the proposed integrated π-PSBG AO modulator; (c) Cross-sectional view of the proposed
devices.

Fig. 2. (a) Numerical simulation results of the dominant Sxx strain components of the
SAW modes in the heterogeneous-integration waveguide platform; (b) Electric field of the
fundamental TE mode in waveguide of 1.4 µm width; (c) Electric field of the fundamental
TE mode in waveguide of 2.0 µm width; (d) Simulated transmission spectrum of WBG with
600 grating cycles; (e) Simulated transmission spectrum of π-PSBG with 600 grating cycles.

where λ, neff , and Λ represent the wavelength of the photon in vacuum, the effective refractive
index, and the period of the grating, respectively.
The grating period is set to 370 nm, so that the resonant wavelength of the simulated transmission
spectra of WBG and π-PSBG is between 1.53 and 1.54 µm. In the case of the π-PSBG device, the
length of the phase shifter is δL = Λ, yielding only a single transmission peak. The parameters
of the WBG are as follows: Λ = 370 nm, the corrugation depth δ = 600 nm, and the core width
WWBG = Wπ−PSBG = 1.4 µm. Two devices were proposed with different parameters to achieve an
optimized extinction ratio and modulation effect. One has 600 grating cycles with IDT acoustic
aperture of 220 µm, while the other device has 800 grating cycles with IDT acoustic aperture of
 Research Article Vol. 32, No. 4 / 12 Feb 2024 / Optics Express 5413

300 µm. Considering our previous research works [25,26], the number of electrodes for IDT is
designed to be 60 pairs, and the difference in the number of IDT electrodes is due to impedance
matching resulting in an increase of the interaction length from 120 µm to 220 µm or 300 µm. The
distance between the IDT and the photon waveguide is 11.4 µm which is the result of simulation
and experimental optimization [25]. Figures 2(d) and (e) show the simulated transmission spectra
for WBG and π-PSBG respectively, and their cycle number is 600. It can be seen that in WBG,
the transmission spectrum has a transmission valley, while the π-PSBG device, yields only a
single sharp transmission peak and the simulated Q-factor is 5200.

3. Fabrication
The fabrication process primarily consists of three key steps [Fig. 3(a)], commencing with a
400 nm X-cut TFLN wafer procured from NANOLN. An 850 nm thick Ge25 Sb10 S65 membrane is
then thermally evaporated onto the TFLN wafer. Subsequently, electron-beam lithography (EBL)
is employed to create WBG/π-PSBG structures as a template, utilizing an electron-beam resist
(ARP 6200.13). After that, the photonic waveguide pattern is transferred onto the Ge25 Sb10 S65
film via reactive ion etching. Lastly, IDT is fabricated through a lift-off process, which involves a
second EBL and gold deposition. The gold electrodes possess a thickness of 100 nm, on a 10 nm
Ti adhesive layer previously deposited. During the spin coating process of ARP 6200.13, the
thickness is precisely controlled at 400 nm, with a spinning speed of 4000 rpm. Figure 3(b)-3(d)
visually presents scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showcasing the details of the IDT
and waveguide.

Fig. 3. (a) Fabrication process of TFLN-ChG grating AO modulator; (b) SEM images of
WBG AO modulator with an IDT and an optical waveguide; (c) SEM image of the π-PSBG;
(d) SEM image of the WBG.

4. Device characterization
The fabricated hybrid WBG and π-PSBG are characterized by analyzing the transmission
spectrum using a Keysight tunable laser, which is swept at wavelengths around 1550 nm. The
experimental measurement setup is depicted in Fig. 4(a). The tunable laser is connected to the
input and output of the device under test using two lensed fibers, each having a mode field diameter
 Research Article Vol. 32, No. 4 / 12 Feb 2024 / Optics Express 5414

of 3 µm. A fiber polarization controller is employed to adjust the fundamental TE mode fed into
the waveguide. The output light is divided into two beams by a 3 dB beam splitter. One is used for
power monitoring and the other is for detection by a photodiode or spectrometer. The measured
transmission spectra are presented in Fig. 4(b)-(e). The tested transmission spectrum exhibits a
5 nm blue shift compared to the simulated one. This discrepancy is thought to result from the
grating structure, which is not strictly rectangular due to the device’s fabrication tolerance. The
extinction ratio of the device with 800 grating cycles increases from 20 dB to 25 dB compared
to the waveguide with 600 grating cycles. The tunable laser power is set to 0 dBm, while the
maximum transmitted power is -12 dBm. This indicates that the fiber-to-fiber insertion loss of
the AO modulator is 8 dB after subtracting the 3 dB beam splitter and 1 dB polarization controller
loss in the system. The illustrations beside Fig. 4(d) and 4(e) correspond to magnifications of the
resonant wavelength region of their transmission spectrum, respectively. As the grating cycles
increase, the resonance is enhanced. Therefore, the full width at half maximum of the resonant
peak narrows from 0.28 nm to 0.12 nm, and the Q value rises from 5457 to 10914. This trend
indicates that the Q value can continue to increase. However, there is a trade-off between the Q
factor and extinction ratio for π-PSBG, which requires a reasonable coupling design to obtain the
best transmission performance.

Fig. 4. (a) Schematic diagram of the device measurement system; TL, tunable laser; VNA,
vector network analyzer; DUT, device under test; PC, polarization controller; PD, photodiode;
BS: 3 dB beam splitter; OPM: optical power meter; (b) WBG transmission spectrum with
600 grating cycles; (c) WBG transmission spectrum with 800 grating cycles; (d) π-PSBG
transmission spectrum with 600 grating cycles; (e) π-PSBG transmission spectrum with
800 grating cycles; The left and right illustrations are enlarged images of the resonant
wavelengths in Figs. (c) and (e), respectively.

Microwave acoustic conversion was evaluated by measuring the microwave reflection coefficient
(S11 ) spectrum. The blue lines in Figs. 5(a) and (b) represent the S11 spectra of IDTs corresponding
to 220 µm and 300 µm acoustic apertures (corresponding to 600 and 800 cycles, respectively). It
can be seen that the impedance of 60 pairs of IDTs is well-matched at the frequency of 0.844 GHz,
and the corresponding acoustic resonance S11 is -38 dB. The input efficiency of microwave energy
through IDT reaches 99%. When the acoustic aperture width is increased to 300 µm, the S11
reflection is slightly enhanced, but the input efficiency remains above 98%.
To characterize the AO modulation effect of the device, the opto-acoustic S21 spectrum is
further measured using the experimental setup shown in Fig. 4(a), where driving Port 1 of the
VNA is connected to the IDT and detecting Port 2 is connected to the photodiode. The laser
wavelength is set at half of the maximum transmission value in the spectra, as shown in Fig. 4.
 Research Article Vol. 32, No. 4 / 12 Feb 2024 / Optics Express 5415

Fig. 5. (a) Acoustic S11 and opto-acoustic S21 spectra of WBG (gray line) and π-PSBG
(red line) with 600 grating cycles; (b) Acoustic S11 and opto-acoustic S21 spectra of WBG
(gray line) and π-PSBG (red line) with 800 granting cycles.

For WBG with 600 (800) grating cycles, the laser wavelength is chosen to be 1526 (1525) nm,
and the corresponding optical power is -18 dBm (-17.6 dBm). For the π-PSBG with 600 (800)
grating cycles, the laser wavelength is chosen to be 1529 nm (1527.5 nm), and the corresponding
optical power is -17.7 dBm (-21.6 dBm). The red and gray curves in Fig. 5 represent the S21
spectra of π-PSBG and WBG AO modulators with 0 dBm microwave and optical input power
respectively. It can be seen that for both 600 and 800 grating cycles, the S21 of π-PSBG device is
about 3 dB larger than that of the WBG, which is primarily due to the strong resonant Q-factor of
π-PSBG. An effective half-wave voltage V π can be calculated by using the formula of half-wave
voltage in MZI waveguide structure, which can be compared with other studies [21],
πRPD Irec
Vπ = , (2)
|S21 |
where RPD is the sensitivity of the photoreceiver and I rec is half of the direct current maximum
optical power. It should be noted that formula (2) can also be applied to evaluation methods for
structures other than MZI, and it has been applied in related research [22]. The performances of
the AO devices are depicted in Table 1. It can be seen that the 800-cycle π-PSBG AO device
exhibits the best modulation efficiency, and its V π (V π ·L) can be as low as 1.08 V (0.03 V·cm)
even if its modulation length is slightly larger than that of the others.
To benchmark the performance of our devices, Table 2 summarizes the latest work on
integrated AO modulators based on TFLN. It can be seen that MZI has the potential to achieve
ultra-high modulation efficiency, especially for push-pull structures. However, they typically
have phase-shifted waveguides longer than 1 mm in length and therefore take up a relatively large
footprint. For racetrack resonator modulators, the bending radius is still greater than 100 µm
due to the anisotropy of LN, and the suspended phonon cavity also introduces the complexity
of the manufacturing process. In contrast, our AO modulators offer the advantages with an
ultra-compact footprint (only 300 µm long), no suspension structure and low energy consumption.
 Research Article Vol. 32, No. 4 / 12 Feb 2024 / Optics Express 5416

Table 1. Summary of four AO devices in this work.

S21 Irec Modulation VπL

Device (dBm) (dB) Vπ (V) length (μm) (V·cm)

600-WBG -48.82 -18 6.18 220 0.14

600-PSBG -44.59 -17.7 4.07 220 0.09

800-WBG -44.28 -17.6 4.02 300 0.12

800-PSBG -40.9 -21.6 1.08 300 0.03

Table 2. Summary of AO modulators on TFLN.

5. Conclusions
In the present study, we propose and demonstrate two kinds of integrated AO modulators on
TFLN-ChG hybrid waveguide platform, in which the photon transmission structure is based on
WBG and π-PSBG. The 800-cycle π-PSBG exhibits efficient microwave-to-acoustic conversion,
with V π ·L as low as 0.03 V·cm at an RF frequency of 0.844 GHz and an ultra-compact footprint
of 200 × 300 µm2 . This is primarily due to the outstanding EO property of ChG and the high Q
value of π-PSBG. Importantly, the AO modulator demonstrated here is simple to fabricate and
can be easily integrated with other TFLN components without etching LN. Our device provides
a more miniaturized AO modulation candidate for photonic integrated circuits, which can be
applied in optical interconnect and microwave photonics.
Funding. National Natural Science Foundation of China (62105377, 62175095, 62205383, 62375291); Science
Foundation of Guangzhou City under Grant (2024A04J9898).
Disclosures. The authors declare no conflicts of interests
Data availability. Data underlying the results presented in this paper are not publicly available at this time but may
be obtained from the authors upon reasonable request.

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