- Li, Mingxiao;
- Chang, Lin;
- Wu, Lue;
- Staffa, Jeremy;
- Ling, Jingwei;
- Javid, Usman A;
- Xue, Shixin;
- He, Yang;
- Lopez-rios, Raymond;
- Morin, Theodore J;
- Wang, Heming;
- Shen, Boqiang;
- Zeng, Siwei;
- Zhu, Lin;
- Vahala, Kerry J;
- Bowers, John E;
- Lin, Qiang
The development of integrated semiconductor lasers has miniaturized traditional bulky laser systems, enabling a wide range of photonic applications. A progression from pure III-V based lasers to III-V/external cavity structures has harnessed low-loss waveguides in different material systems, leading to significant improvements in laser coherence and stability. Despite these successes, however, key functions remain absent. In this work, we address a critical missing function by integrating the Pockels effect into a semiconductor laser. Using a hybrid integrated III-V/Lithium Niobate structure, we demonstrate several essential capabilities that have not existed in previous integrated lasers. These include a record-high frequency modulation speed of 2 exahertz/s (2.0 × 1018 Hz/s) and fast switching at 50 MHz, both of which are made possible by integration of the electro-optic effect. Moreover, the device co-lases at infrared and visible frequencies via the second-harmonic frequency conversion process, the first such integrated multi-color laser. Combined with its narrow linewidth and wide tunability, this new type of integrated laser holds promise for many applications including LiDAR, microwave photonics, atomic physics, and AR/VR.