Work

An 850 nm Grating Coupler on Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Enabled by Topological Unidirectional Guided Resonance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The inherently high-voltage-length product (VπL) of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) modulators in the O-, C-, and L-telecom bands restricts further scaling of photonic integrated circuits’ bandwidth density, driving their migration toward shorter operating wavelengths. Nevertheless, the corresponding grating couplers, as critical optical input/outputs (optical I/Os) interfaces, remain largely undeveloped. Here, we demonstrate an 850 nm TFLN grating coupler designed based on topological unidirectional guided resonance (UGR). By breaking C2 symmetry of the unit cell and precisely tailoring its geometry, we achieve unidirectional upward radiation with a 63.7 dB up/down intensity ratio. Subsequent apodization of groove widths and periods enables precise control of the electrical field distribution in both real and momentum spaces. This yields a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL)-matched, highly fabrication-tolerant TFLN grating coupler that attains, to the best of our knowledge, the highest simulated coupling efficiency of −0.6 dB without mirrors or hybrid materials. This work delivers a high-efficiency, layout-flexible, and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible optical I/Os solution for short-wavelength TFLN modulators with low VπL. It offers substantial engineering value and broad applicability for on-chip light source integration and high-bandwidth-density short-reach optical interconnects.

Source: Photonics

DOI: 10.3390/photonics13020199