Advances in lithium niobate photonics: development status and perspectives

Lithium niobate (LN) has experienced significant developments during past decades due to its versatile properties, especially large electro-optic (EO) coefficient. For example, bulk LN-based modulators with high speeds and a superior linearity are widely used in typical fiber-optic communication systems. However, ever-increasing demands for signal transmission capacity, the power size of devices pose great challenges, when one counterparts, integrated silicon photonics, dramatic recent decades. Not long ago, high-quality thin-film LN on insulator (LNOI) became commercially available, which paved way photonics opened hot research area devices. LNOI allows refractive index contrast, thus light can be confined within more compact structure. Together other properties LN, such as nonlinear/acousto-optic/pyroelectric effects, various kinds high-performance demonstrated. A comprehensive summary advances is provided. As several development, our review includes some well recently developed thin film In this way, readers may inspired by complete picture evolution technology. We first introduce basic material key processing technologies fabricating After that, functional based different effects summarized. Finally, we give short perspective photonics. hope insight into contribute further development related research.