Piezoelectrically actuated silicon-nitride-based high-speed spatial light modulator.

Vanackere, Tom; Hermans, Artur; Christen, Ian; Panuski, Christopher; Dong, Mark; Zimmermann, Matthew; Raniwala, Hamza; Leenheer, Andrew J et al. · Nat Commun · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Advancements in light modulator technology have been driving discoveries and progress across various fields. The problem of large-scale coherent optical control of atomic quantum systems-including cold atoms, ions, and solid-state color centers-presents among the most stringent requirements. This motivates a new generation of high-speed large-scale modulator technology operating in the visible to near-infrared wavelength range. We introduce a scalable modulator technology based on piezoelectrically actuated silicon nitride resonant waveguide gratings fabricated on 200 mm diameter silicon wafers with CMOS-compatible processes. We present a proof-of-concept device with 4 × 4 individually addressable 50 μm × 50 μm pixels or channels, each containing a resonant waveguide grating with a  ~ 780 nm design wavelength, supporting  > 100 MHz modulation speeds, and a spectral response with  > 20 dB extinction.