Programmable multifunctional integrated microwave photonic circuit on thin-film lithium niobate
Chuangchuang Wei, Hanke Feng, Kaixuan Ye, Maarten Eijkel, Yvan Klaver, Zhaoxi Chen, Akshay Keloth, Cheng Wang, David Marpaung
Abstract
Microwave photonics, with its advanced high-frequency signal processing capabilities, is expected to play a crucial role in next-generation wireless communications and radar systems. The realization of highly integrated, high-performance, and multifunctional microwave photonic links will pave the way for its widespread deployment in practical applications, which is a significant challenge. Here, leveraging thin-film lithium niobate intensity modulator and programmable cascaded microring resonators, we demonstrate a tunable microwave photonic notch filter that simultaneously achieves high level of integration along with high dynamic range, high link gain, low noise figure, and ultra-high rejection ratio. Additionally, this programmable on-chip system is multifunctional, allowing for the dual-band notch filter and the suppression of the high-power interference signal. This work demonstrates the potential applications of the thin-film lithium niobate platform in the field of high-performance integrated microwave photonic filtering and signal processing, facilitating the advancement of microwave photonic system towards practical applications. The researchers present the integration of a modulator and an optical processor on a single chip based on the TFLN platform, demonstrating a system capable of high RF performance and multifunctionality. The results provide evidence that highly integrated and high-performance microwave photonic circuits are achievable.