Compact, Low-Loss, High-Speed Graphene Hybrid Modulator

Compact, Low-Loss, High-Speed Graphene Hybrid Modulator | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Compact, Low-Loss, High-Speed Graphene Hybrid Modulator Juerg Leuthold, Ping Ma, Xinzhi Zhang, Wolfgang Heni, Nikolaus Floery, and 14 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6468862/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Electro-optic modulators are pivotal to the advancement of photonic technologies, delivering faster, more efficient, and scalable solutions in optical communications, computing, and sensing. Their integration with existing photonic platforms, low-power operation, and high-frequency response is fundamental for current and future optical technologies. Silicon, compound semiconductors, thin‐film ferroelectrics, and organic polymers are widely used integrated electro-optic materials. However, standalone materials often exhibit inherent limitations in efficiency, optical loss, or response time. Hybrid integration emerges as a vital strategy to circumvent these fundamental constraints, synergizing complementary strengths to achieve modulator devices that satisfy stringent performance requirements. Here, we introduce a novel graphene-organic-silicon hybrid modulator that harnesses the unique properties of two-dimensional graphene materials as low-loss electrodes alongside the large electro-optic effects of organic materials, the high mode confinement of silicon slot waveguides, all seamlessly integrated within a silicon photonic device platform. The device capitalizes on the advantages of its constituent optical materials, delivering a highly efficient and compact phase modulator with a high efficiency of U π L~0.32 V⋅mm and a footprint of merely 25 μm, featuring low on‐chip losses of 0.86-2.6 dB and achieving data modulation speeds measured up to 144 Gbit s -1 . By extending the frontiers of hybrid material integration, this work not only enhances modulator performance but also demonstrates the broader implications of advanced hybrid systems in advancing integrated photonic technologies. Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Applied optics/Optoelectronic devices and components Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical materials and structures/Graphene/Optical properties and devices Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical materials and structures/Polymers Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical materials and structures/Silicon photonics Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplymentaryInformation.pdf Supplymentary Information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6468862","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":474271140,"identity":"40c17923-3f09-4931-bd73-50f0b58d9ef7","order_by":0,"name":"Juerg Leuthold","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAvUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACPiBmZmCwYOxnYGADCSQQ1AJUxtjMwCDBOLOBmVQtGw4QrYW9x/xxQYWE7Obj/cce/mCwyyOsheeMYfOMMxLG284cZjeQYEguJqxFIsewmbdNInHbjWQ2CQOGA4kNBLXIv4Fo2Tz/MZtEAlFaJHggWjZIMLNJHCBKC09a4WweoF9mnEk2k2wwSCashZ/98IbPPBU2sv3tB59J/qiwI6wFDRiQqH4UjIJRMApGAXYAAHJyNtJSgC3UAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0111-8169","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Juerg","middleName":"","lastName":"Leuthold","suffix":""},{"id":474271141,"identity":"054c6933-5d5e-49a4-933a-ac1de6137ce9","order_by":1,"name":"Ping Ma","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Science and Technology of China","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ping","middleName":"","lastName":"Ma","suffix":""},{"id":474271142,"identity":"280b13a8-6425-4be6-a901-b549d2bf3591","order_by":2,"name":"Xinzhi Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xinzhi","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":474271143,"identity":"60076b88-43d8-4d83-b77c-ba45addf4f85","order_by":3,"name":"Wolfgang Heni","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0861-2530","institution":"Polariton Technologies AG","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wolfgang","middleName":"","lastName":"Heni","suffix":""},{"id":474271144,"identity":"165f79b4-a544-4264-bc4b-9fceaccaf1cb","order_by":4,"name":"Nikolaus Floery","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nikolaus","middleName":"","lastName":"Floery","suffix":""},{"id":474271145,"identity":"d6ca63e5-110c-427f-8cf7-eaef596ec271","order_by":5,"name":"Tobias Blatter","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich, Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), Zürich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tobias","middleName":"","lastName":"Blatter","suffix":""},{"id":474271146,"identity":"07715aa9-8a2e-40fa-a177-8500aa101da1","order_by":6,"name":"Yannik Horst","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich, Institute of Electromagnetic Fields (IEF), Zürich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yannik","middleName":"","lastName":"Horst","suffix":""},{"id":474271147,"identity":"0e4f9191-2bc3-4e12-93fd-9e1444387336","order_by":7,"name":"Tatsuhiko Watanabe","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tatsuhiko","middleName":"","lastName":"Watanabe","suffix":""},{"id":474271148,"identity":"a92848b2-c616-4348-8e5c-baa71c5a40a9","order_by":8,"name":"Chaohui Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Science and Technology of China","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chaohui","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":474271149,"identity":"2ce16711-2bc7-43c2-94db-bf19216065df","order_by":9,"name":"Teng Wu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Science and Technology of China","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Teng","middleName":"","lastName":"Wu","suffix":""},{"id":474271150,"identity":"46d451a5-2157-42b0-b81f-e5ad31f6472a","order_by":10,"name":"Bo Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Science and Technology of China","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bo","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":474271151,"identity":"80645f3c-afdd-4ceb-9efd-45965e5266a0","order_by":11,"name":"Maorong Sun","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Science and Technology of China","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maorong","middleName":"","lastName":"Sun","suffix":""},{"id":474271152,"identity":"02ec3a52-4f3e-4f53-b3a0-b27839d1b30b","order_by":12,"name":"Zixiao Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Science and Technology of China","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zixiao","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":474271153,"identity":"56570339-240d-4caf-866e-32f832a32e71","order_by":13,"name":"Killian Keller","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Killian","middleName":"","lastName":"Keller","suffix":""},{"id":474271154,"identity":"02a70e55-97fd-4b73-925f-83a3cbd99b57","order_by":14,"name":"Maurizio Burla","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maurizio","middleName":"","lastName":"Burla","suffix":""},{"id":474271155,"identity":"f46807aa-44ee-4eee-aca3-a013e508a1b3","order_by":15,"name":"Alexandros Emboras","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alexandros","middleName":"","lastName":"Emboras","suffix":""},{"id":474271156,"identity":"35ae2ef4-4d07-4fab-902c-5de2e41e4511","order_by":16,"name":"Lukas Novotny","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9970-8345","institution":"ETH Zurich","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lukas","middleName":"","lastName":"Novotny","suffix":""},{"id":474271157,"identity":"7a95b51a-27e6-4fde-b276-22b1aec6155e","order_by":17,"name":"Delwin Elder","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Washington","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Delwin","middleName":"","lastName":"Elder","suffix":""},{"id":474271158,"identity":"d2be27e3-1083-435b-82b1-c65f21e9acd0","order_by":18,"name":"Larry Dalton","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6461-0145","institution":"University of Washington","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Larry","middleName":"","lastName":"Dalton","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-17 07:00:18","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6468862/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6468862/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":95801203,"identity":"df5b8ae7-08e5-4756-a225-23ddccb552d6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-13 08:24:42","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1211127,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"ArticleFile.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6468862/v1_covered_0a0f6ca8-a549-4c12-a0c8-9cab1af1a5dd.pdf"},{"id":85237370,"identity":"6e774016-5796-4585-902f-25d414d4748e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-06-23 17:16:53","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":581770,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Supplymentary Information","description":"","filename":"SupplymentaryInformation.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6468862/v1/bb22aae990d3456a52af819b.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is \u003cb\u003eNO\u003c/b\u003e Competing Interest.","formattedTitle":"Compact, Low-Loss, High-Speed Graphene Hybrid Modulator","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6468862/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6468862/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eElectro-optic modulators are pivotal to the advancement of photonic technologies, delivering faster, more efficient, and scalable solutions in optical communications, computing, and sensing. Their integration with existing photonic platforms, low-power operation, and high-frequency response is fundamental for current and future optical technologies. Silicon, compound semiconductors, thin‐film ferroelectrics, and organic polymers are widely used integrated electro-optic materials. However, standalone materials often exhibit inherent limitations in efficiency, optical loss, or response time. Hybrid integration emerges as a vital strategy to circumvent these fundamental constraints, synergizing complementary strengths to achieve modulator devices that satisfy stringent performance requirements. Here, we introduce a novel graphene-organic-silicon hybrid modulator that harnesses the unique properties of two-dimensional graphene materials as low-loss electrodes alongside the large electro-optic effects of organic materials, the high mode confinement of silicon slot waveguides, all seamlessly integrated within a silicon photonic device platform. The device capitalizes on the advantages of its constituent optical materials, delivering a highly efficient and compact phase modulator with a high efficiency of U\u003csub\u003eπ\u003c/sub\u003eL~0.32 V⋅mm and a footprint of merely 25 μm, featuring low on‐chip losses of 0.86-2.6 dB and achieving data modulation speeds measured up to 144 Gbit s\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e. By extending the frontiers of hybrid material integration, this work not only enhances modulator performance but also demonstrates the broader implications of advanced hybrid systems in advancing integrated photonic technologies.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Compact, Low-Loss, High-Speed Graphene Hybrid Modulator","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-06-23 17:16:48","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6468862/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"857171f4-f380-45d1-8495-0276b6629f75","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 23rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":50371087,"name":"Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Applied optics/Optoelectronic devices and components"},{"id":50371088,"name":"Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical materials and structures/Graphene/Optical properties and devices"},{"id":50371089,"name":"Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical materials and structures/Polymers"},{"id":50371090,"name":"Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Optical materials and structures/Silicon photonics"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-12T10:16:25+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-06-23 17:16:48","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6468862","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6468862","identity":"rs-6468862","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}