PHOTONIC ACOUSTO-OPTIC FREQUENCY SHIFTER

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for a photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter having an integrated layer of lithium niobate. An input port receives input light and an acoustic wave generator generates an acoustic wave into a deflection area comprising a layer of lithium niobate. A first output port exits undeflected light from the deflection area as transmitted light and a second output port exits light deflected in frequency by the acoustic wave in the deflection area.

Claims

1. A photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter, comprising: an input port to receive input light; an acoustic wave generator to generate an acoustic wave into a deflection area comprising a layer of lithium niobate; and a first output port to exit light deflected in frequency by the acoustic wave in the deflection area.

2. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic wave generator comprises an interdigitated transducer (IDT).

3. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 1, further including a first input waveguide formed in the layer of lithium niobate to confine the input light from the input port to the deflection area.

4. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 3, further including a first output waveguide formed in the layer of lithium niobate to confine the deflected light from the deflection area to the first output port.

5. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 3, further including a first output waveguide formed in the layer of lithium niobate to confine the deflected light from the deflection area to the first output port, and a second output waveguide formed in the layer of lithium niobate to confine the transmitted light from the deflection area to the second output port.

6. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 5, wherein one or more of the first input waveguide, the first output waveguide, and/or the second output waveguide comprises a taper.

7. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 1, wherein the layer of lithium niobate is formed on an oxide layer.

8. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 7, wherein the oxide layer is supported by a substrate.

9. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 1, further including a sensor array to receive the deflected light.

10. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 9, wherein the sensor array comprises a focal plane array.

11. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 9, further including lenses, waveguides or any combination thereof between the output port and the sensor array.

12. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 11, wherein the sensor array comprises a focal plane array.

13. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 11, further including one or more additional photonic acousto-optic frequency shifters arranged so that optical signals from the frequency shifters have path lengths that are an integer number of wavelengths of being identical for coherent combination at the sensor array.

14. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 11, further including one or more additional photonic acousto-optic frequency shifters arranged so that optical signals from the frequency shifters have path lengths that are not an integer number of wavelengths of being identical pathlengths for non-coherent combination at the sensor array.

15. The photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter according to claim 12, wherein the sensor array comprises a focal plane array.

16. A method, comprising: for a photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter, employing an input port to receive input light; employing an acoustic wave generator to generate an acoustic wave into a deflection area comprising a layer of lithium niobate; and employing a first output port to exit light deflected in frequency by the acoustic wave in the deflection area.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the acoustic wave generator comprises an interdigitated transducer (IDT).

18. The method according to claim 16, further including employing a first input waveguide formed in the layer of lithium niobate to confine the input light from the input port to the deflection area.

19. The method according to claim 18, further including employing a first output waveguide formed in the layer of lithium niobate to confine the deflected light from the deflection area to the first output port.

20. The method according to claim 18, further including employing a first output waveguide formed in the layer of lithium niobate to confine the deflected light from the deflection area to the first output port, and a second output waveguide formed in the layer of lithium niobate to confine the transmitted light from the deflection area to the second output port.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The foregoing features of this disclosure, as well as the disclosure itself, may be more fully understood from the following description of the drawings in which:

[0017] FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic representations of example integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifters (modulators) having a lithium niobate substrate in accordance with example embodiments of the disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 2A is example integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter having a lithium niobate substrate in a Stokes configuration;

[0019] FIG. 2B is a waveform diagram showing frequency versus optical power for the integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter of FIG. 2A;

[0020] FIG. 2C is example integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter having a lithium niobate substrate in an anti-Stokes configuration;

[0021] FIG. 2D is a waveform diagram showing frequency versus optical power for the integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter of FIG. 2C;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter having a lithium niobate substrate in accordance with example embodiments of the disclosure; and

[0023] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a system having an integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter having a lithium niobate substrate in accordance with example embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] FIGS. 1A and 1B show an example integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter (modulator) 100 having a lithium niobate substrate 102 in accordance with example embodiments of the disclosure. In embodiments the integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter 100 has first and second input ports 104, 106 and first and second output ports 108, 110. The integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter 100 receives input light 112 at the first input port 104 and outputs frequency-shifted light 116 at the first output port 110, and optionally outputs transmitted light 114 at the second output port 108.

[0025] The modulator 100 includes an interdigitated transducer (IDT) 120 to generate a travelling acoustic wave into an acousto-optic material, shown as lithium niobate 102, that interacts with the incoming light. First and second signal inputs 122, 124, which may be configured to receive an RF signal, are coupled to the IDT 120 to generate the acoustic wave.

[0026] In embodiments, the photonic acousto-optic modulator 100 the thin film Lithium Niobate layer 102 is integrated into the modulator. In example embodiments, the Lithium Niobate layer 102 is disposed on a silicon dioxide layer 128 supported by a silicon substrate 130. It is understood that other suitable oxide and substrate materials can be used to meet the needs of a particular application. Examples include titanium dioxide and aluminum oxide for the oxide layer, and Sapphire for the substrate material. While any suitable thickness can be used, an example thickness of the Lithium Niobate layer is in the order of 0.7 mm.

[0027] The input light 112 is received at the first input port 104 (Port A) and confined by a first input tapered waveguide 130 formed in the Lithium Niobate layer 102 toward the IDT 120. The acoustic wave from the IDT 120 diffracts some of the light. Undiffracted transmitted light 114 exits the modulator via a first output tapered waveguide 132 at the first output port 108 and as frequency-shifted light 116 via a second output tapered waveguide 134 at the second output port 110.

[0028] With this arrangement, high acoustic frequency capability, e.g., 3 GHz, at moderate efficiency, e.g., 3.5%, can be achieved with a reduced SWAP compared to commercially-available modulators and existing PIC implementations. The Lithium Niobate layer 102 provides an acousto-optic waveguide structure where both acoustic and optic indices of lithium niobate are higher than those of the supporting insulator, guiding both waves without removal of the underlying substrate, as is required with suspended waveguides. Embodiments of the modulator leverage the large piezoelectric and photoelastic coefficients of Lithium Niobate, as well as the Lithium Niobate low microwave and optical propagation loss. Further embodiments may leverage the enhanced optical mode confinement compared to bulk deices from the large index difference between the Lithium Niobate layer and the surrounding insulator.

[0029] FIG. 2A shows an example integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter (modulator) 200 having a lithium niobate substrate 102 having a Stokes configuration (frequency downshift). Incoming light is received at Port B and transmitted light is output at Port D. Light deflected by the IDT 120 exits via Port C. FIG. 2B shows an example frequency downshift of 2.89 GHz and a carrier suppression of 31 dB.

[0030] FIG. 2C shows an example integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter (modulator) 200 having a lithium niobate substrate 102 with an anti-Stokes configuration (upshift). Incoming light is received at Port A and transmitted light exits at Port C. Port B is unused and could be eliminated from the fabrication of this embodiment, it is there for convenience of alternate embodiments. Deflected light exits via Port D. FIG. 2D shows an example frequency upshift of 2.89 GHz and a carrier suppression of 33 dB.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows an example implementation of an integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifter (modulator) 300. A laser input signal 302 is received at an input port 304 coupled to a single mode channel waveguide 306 that feeds the signal to a first lens 308. A layer of lithium niobate 310 provides an acousto-optic waveguide for guiding light and acoustic waves. A transducer 312, such as an IDT, is coupled to first and second terminals 314a,b configured to receive an RF input signal for exciting the transducer to generate an acoustic wave into the diffraction area. Bragg diffracted light 316 travels to a second lens 318 which directs the light to a channel waveguide array 320. The diffracted light exits via one or more output channels that provide light onto a sensor array, such as a focal plane array FPA.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows an example photonic integrated circuit (PIC) implementation 400. An analog receiver 402 receives one or more RF input signals from one or more antennas 404, for example. An acoustic modulator PIC 406 receives the RF input signal(s) and light from an optical source 408, such as a laser. The PIC 406 comprises an integrated thin film Lithium Niobate layer, such as described above. The PIC 406 outputs light signals onto a focal plane array 410, which may comprise one or more pixel arrays. As described above, the RF signals may diffract light from the optical source 408. The amount of diffraction corresponds to the characteristic of the RF signals. The upconverted (downconverted) RF signal is diffracted in angle proportional to RF frequency component, with each RF component intensity proportional to the signal intensity at that frequency. Thus, the geometry of the configuration to focus the diffracted light onto individual sensors, sometimes using intermediary lenses, optical waveguides, or other formatters, defines the frequency resolution of the detected RF frequency, and the detection and digitizing speed can be significantly reduced in proportion to the frame rate of the sensor array or focal plane array. In example embodiments, respective analog-to-digital converters (ADC) 412 digitize the FPA outputs for processing by a digital circuit 414, such as an FPGA.

[0033] Embodiments of the disclosure provide robust devices with deflection efficiencies of about 2-40% in a form factor significantly smaller than known devices with reduced power requirements. At telecommunication wavelengths, such as about 1.5 μm, we demonstrate an optical frequency shift of 3 GHz with carrier suppression over 30 dB and the opposite sideband suppression >40 dB (below the noise floor).

[0034] It is understood that embodiments of integrated photonic acoustic-optic frequency shifters having an integrated thin film Lithium Niobate layer are useful in a wide variety of applications, such as Fourier transform engines, cross-spectrum correlators (and convolution engines), space-time joint transforms, neural network engines, and the like.

[0035] Having described exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, it will now become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating their concepts may also be used. The embodiments contained herein should not be limited to disclosed embodiments but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims. All publications and references cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0036] Elements of different embodiments described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically set forth above. Various elements, which are described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. Other embodiments not specifically described herein are also within the scope of the following claims.