Si-integrated ferroelectrics for photonics and optical computing

The von Neumann computer architecture is experiencing difficulties with both scaling and power consumption requirements, and as a result, new computing paradigms are being actively explored. Even more revolutionary would be a complete or partial switch from electrons to photons. Infrared silicon photonics is one possible avenue for realizing such an alternative computing paradigm. This technology will ultimately require integration of active and passive photonic elements on a single chip. One key photonic element is an optical modulator. Here, we summarize the recent progress in integrating ferroelectric LiNbO 3 and BaTiO 3 with silicon photonics for the purpose of fabricating electro-optic modulators exploiting the linear electro-optic effect. Graphical abstract