The National Information Optoelectronics Innovation Center (NOEIC) of China Information and Communication Technologies Group Corporation (CICT) launched the world’s first 170 GHz thin-film lithium niobate electro-optic modulator on March 3.
The matchbox-size modulator, the key to the optical communication system, marks a major breakthrough in the ultra-high-speed optoelectronic conversion technologies. It fills a domestic gap in core components for high-end testing and measurement equipment, and will support the construction of 6G communications and the new information infrastructure in the future. It shows that China leads the world once again in producing the critical components for ultra-high-speed optical transmission.
The electro-optic modulator is a core device for optoelectronic conversion, and its bandwidth decides the speed of signal processing. As an “interchange station” between electronic communications and optical fiber communications, it can translate electronic signals into optical signals to achieve fast transmission.
The modulator’s core competitiveness lies in an independently developed thin-film lithium niobate platform and a fully self-developed technology system covering the entire development process. Lithium niobate is a quality material for optoelectronic conversion. Test data showed the modulator’s return loss over the whole frequency range of 170 GHz maintains below -10 dB, enabling great performance in ultra-high bandwidth and stable low loss.
Such a globally advanced electro-optic modulator has great strategic value and can be widely used in cutting-edge domains including microwave photonic systems and the next-generation optical communication systems. It also provides key hardware support for future scenarios including the upcoming 6G space-air-ground integrated network and artificial intelligence computing power interconnection.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
