Key Findings
Researchers have demonstrated a dual-band silicon nitride-loaded thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) electro-optic modulator that supports energy-efficient operation in both the O-band (1310 nm) and C-band (1550 nm). This device achieved a record-breaking data transmission speed of 600 Gbps across both wavelength bands using PAM-8 format, realizing exceptionally low power consumption of 0.82 fJ/bit and 0.89 fJ/bit, respectively.
Technical Details
This innovative modulator leverages the superior electro-optic properties of thin-film lithium niobate combined with the low-loss waveguide characteristics of silicon nitride to enable dual-band operation. While conventional TFLN modulators are typically optimized for a single wavelength band, this device demonstrates high performance across both the O-band and C-band, which are widely used in data centers and telecommunication networks.
The adoption of PAM-8 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation 8-level) modulation format allows for the transmission of more information per optical carrier, contributing to the high 600 Gbps data rate. Particularly noteworthy is its ultra-low power consumption: 0.82 fJ/bit in O-band and 0.89 fJ/bit in C-band. These values are exceptionally low compared to existing high-speed electro-optic modulators, significantly contributing to the reduction of overall power consumption in data centers. This high energy efficiency is critical for large-scale AI infrastructures and cloud computing environments, where it helps reduce operational costs and environmental impact.
Background and Industry Context
Optical communication systems are facing unprecedented demands for bandwidth and energy efficiency due to the explosive growth of AI and cloud services. Multi-band communication technologies, which efficiently utilize multiple wavelength bands, are key to capacity expansion, especially for interconnects within and between data centers. Thin-film lithium niobate has been recognized as a leading material for next-generation optical interconnects due to its high-speed modulation and low-loss properties, but high-efficiency dual-band operation represents a new breakthrough. Hybrid integration with silicon nitride further enhances the scalability and flexibility in the design and manufacturing of TFLN devices.
Outlook
The success of this dual-band TFLN modulator marks a crucial milestone toward realizing future high-speed optical communication systems, particularly multi-band photonic interconnects. Its ability to support multiple wavelength bands in a single device simplifies optical network complexity and reduces overall system costs and power consumption. The research team aims to further advance this technology, targeting even higher data rates, broader wavelength coverage, and further miniaturization, thereby strengthening the role of TFLN photonics in next-generation AI data centers, 5G/6G communications, and quantum photonics applications.
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