Piezoelectric acoustic devices that are integrated with semiconductors can leverage the acoustoelectric effect, allowing functionalities such as gain and isolation to be achieved in the acoustic domain. This could lead to performance improvements and miniaturization of radio-frequency electronic systems. However, acoustoelectric amplifiers that offer a large acoustic gain with low power consumption and noise figure at microwave frequencies in continuous operation have not yet been developed. Here we report non-reciprocal acoustoelectric amplifiers that are based on a three-layer heterostructure consisting of an indium gallium arsenide (In0.53Ga0.47As) semiconducting film, a lithium niobate (LiNbO3) piezoelectric film, and a silicon substrate. The heterostructure can continuously generate 28.0 dB of acoustic gain (4.0 dB net radio-frequency gain) for 1 GHz phonons with an acoustic noise figure of 2.8 dB, while dissipating 40.5 mW of d.c. power. We also create a device with an acoustic gain of 37.0 dB (11.3 dB net gain) at 1 GHz with 19.6 mW of d.c. power dissipation and a non-reciprocal transmission of over 55 dB.
We computationally explore the optical and elastic modes necessary for acoustoelectrically enhanced Brillouin interactions. The large simulated piezoelectric (k2 ≈ 6%) and optome-chanical (|g0| ≈ 8000 (rad/s)√m) coupling theoretically predicts a performance enhancement of several orders of magnitude in Brillouin-based photonic technologies.
We computationally explore the optical and elastic modes necessary for acoustoelectrically enhanced Brillouin interactions. The large simulated piezoelectric (k2 ≈ 6%) and optome-chanical (|g0| ≈ 8000 (rad/s)√m) coupling theoretically predicts a performance enhancement of several orders of magnitude in Brillouin-based photonic technologies.
This work presents a 3-Port acoustoelectric switch design for surface acoustic wave signal processing. Using a multistrip coupler, the input acoustic wave at Port 1 is split into two parallel and electrically cross-linked acoustoelectric delay lines where an applied voltage can alter the gain and attenuation in each delay line based on the voltage polarity. The switch is demonstrated using a 270 MHz Leaky SAW mode on an InGaAs on 41° Y-cut lithium niobate heterostructure. Applying a +40 V voltage pulse results in an IL of -12.5 dB and -57.5 dB in the gain and isolation switch paths, respectively. This leads to a 45 dB difference in signal strength at the output ports.
We measure the photoelastic constants of piezo-optomechanical photonic integrated circuits incorporating a specially formulated, silicon-depleted silicon nitride thin films using a laser doppler vibrometer to calibrate the strain produced by the integrated piezoelectric actuators.