Semiconductor-gain-integrated nonlinear nanophotonic circuits in lithium niobate

The National Science Foundation Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems awarded California Institute of Technology $437,500 on October 1, 2026, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to develop semiconductor-gain-integrated nonlinear nanophotonic circuits in lithium niobate.

The project will integrate electrically driven semiconductor lasers with advanced lithium niobate photonic circuits to create a unified platform capable of generating and manipulating coherent light on a single chip. Research activities combine theory, numerical modeling, nanofabrication, and experimental characterization to establish physical principles governing the interaction of electrically pumped optical gain, engineered second-order optical nonlinearities, and integrated optical cavities. The work will develop compact coherent light sources and photonic architectures enabled by this integrated platform, with design principles and experimental demonstrations derived from studies of nonlinear dynamics, coherence, stability, and tunability in integrated devices. The project will also provide interdisciplinary training for graduate and undergraduate students at the intersection of photonics, materials, and nanotechnology and will integrate research outcomes into educational and outreach activities. Potential long-term applications include environmental and medical sensing, high-speed communications, and emerging information-processing technologies.

Work is performed at Caltech in Pasadena, California. The period of performance runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029.

Abstract

Part 1 ? Nontechnical description modern technologies for communication, sensing, computing, and precision measurement increasingly rely on compact and energy-efficient photonic systems. However, today's photonic integrated circuits typically depend on separate laser sources and multiple specialized devices to generate different types of light, limiting performance, scalability, and energy efficiency. This project will develop a new approach that integrates electrically driven semiconductor lasers with advanced lithium niobate photonic circuits, creating a unified platform capable of generating and manipulating coherent light on a single chip. By combining these technologies, the project seeks to advance the scientific understanding of nonlinear photonics while enabling more compact and versatile photonic systems. Potential long-term applications include environmental and medical sensing, high-speed communications, and emerging information-processing technologies. The project will also provide interdisciplinary training for graduate and undergraduate students at the intersection of photonics, materials, and nanotechnology and will integrate research outcomes into educational and outreach activities. Part 2 ? Technical description this project investigates a new class of semiconductor-gain-integrated nonlinear photonic circuits based on lithium niobate. The research will establish the physical principles governing the interaction of electrically pumped optical gain, engineered second-order optical nonlinearities, and integrated optical cavities, while developing compact coherent light sources and photonic architectures enabled by this platform. The work combines theory, numerical modeling, nanofabrication, and experimental characterization to study nonlinear dynamics, coherence, stability, and tunability in integrated devices. The resulting design principles and experimental demonstrations will advance the fundamental understanding of integrated nonlinear photonics and provide a foundation for future multifunctional photonic systems that combine light generation and photonic functionality on a common platform. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.