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Thin-film lithium niobate is an attractive integrated photonics platform due to its low optical loss and favorable optical nonlinear and electro-optic properties. However, in applications such as second harmonic generation, frequency comb generation, and microwave-to-optics conversion, the device performance is strongly impeded by the photorefractive effect inherent in thin-film lithium niobate. In this paper, we show that the dielectric cladding on a lithium niobate microring resonator has a significant influence on the photorefractive effect. By removing the dielectric cladding layer, the photorefractive effect in lithium niobate ring resonators can be effectively mitigated. Our work presents a reliable approach to control the photorefractive effect on thin-film lithium niobate and will further advance the performance of integrated classical and quantum photonic devices based on thin-film lithium niobate.
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This content will become publicly available on December 1, 2025
Surface modification and coherence in lithium niobate SAW resonators
Abstract Lithium niobate is a promising material for developing quantum acoustic technologies due to its strong piezoelectric effect and availability in the form of crystalline thin films of high quality. However, at radio frequencies and cryogenic temperatures, these resonators are limited by the presence of decoherence and dephasing due to two-level systems. To mitigate these losses and increase device performance, a more detailed picture of the microscopic nature of these loss channels is needed. In this study, we fabricate several lithium niobate acoustic wave resonators and apply different processing steps that modify their surfaces. These treatments include argon ion sputtering, annealing, and acid cleans. We characterize the effects of these treatments using three surface-sensitive measurements: cryogenic microwave spectroscopy measuring density and coupling of TLS to mechanics, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. We learn from these studies that, surprisingly, increases of TLS density may accompany apparent improvements in the surface quality as probed by the latter two approaches. Our work outlines the importance that surfaces and fabrication techniques play in altering acoustic resonator coherence, and suggests gaps in our understanding as well as approaches to address them.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1941826
- PAR ID:
- 10503420
- Publisher / Repository:
- Scientific Reports
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-2322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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