Background
Conventional near-infrared telecom bands are running into capacity limits, motivating wide-band optical-communication systems that span from near-IR all the way into the mid-IR. This in turn demands core optical components combining broadband bandwidth with high-speed operation. Existing modulators struggle to maintain wide operational bandwidth because of waveguide dispersion and velocity mismatch between the optical and electrical waves.
Device & Performance
240 Gbps PAM-4 across the O-U bands and a record 170 Gbps PAM-4 at the 2 µm band." data-zh="演示一种薄膜铌酸锂电光调制器，工作带宽达 800 nm，覆盖整个 O-U 通信波段并延伸至 2 µm 波段。其电光 3-dB 带宽在 O/S/C/L 各波段均超过 67 GHz（中心波段约 100 GHz），在 2 µm 波段也超过 50 GHz；O-U 波段实现单 lane >240 Gbps PAM-4 传输，并在 2 µm 波段创下 170 Gbps PAM-4 纪录。"> We demonstrate a thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) EO modulator with an 800 nm operational bandwidth, covering the full O-to-U telecom range and extending into the 2 µm waveband. Its EO 3-dB bandwidth exceeds 67 GHz across the O/S/C/L bands (~100 GHz at the centre bands) and exceeds 50 GHz at 2 µm.
Highlights
- 800 nm operational bandwidth — covering O–U telecom bands and extending into 2 µm
- 67 GHz EO bandwidth across O/S/C/L (~100 GHz at centre bands); >50 GHz at 2 µm" data-zh="O/S/C/L 波段 >67 GHz 电光带宽（中心约 100 GHz）；2 µm 波段 >50 GHz">>67 GHz EO bandwidth across O/S/C/L (~100 GHz at centre bands); >50 GHz at 2 µm
- 240 Gbps PAM-4 across O-U bands; record 170 Gbps PAM-4 at 2 µm" data-zh="O-U 波段单 lane >240 Gbps PAM-4；2 µm 波段 170 Gbps PAM-4 创纪录">Single-lane >240 Gbps PAM-4 across O-U bands; record 170 Gbps PAM-4 at 2 µm
- Establishes TFLN as a multispectral photonics platform — bridging telecom and emerging 2 µm technologies
Citation
Q. Li*, Q. Yi*, A. Sun*, A. Pan* et al., "Ultra-broadband near- to mid-infrared electro-optic modulator on thin-film lithium niobate," Nature Communications, 17:1138, 2026.