Perspective on Lithium-Niobate-on-Insulator Photonics Utilizing the Electro-optic and Acousto-optic Effects

For lithium niobate, electro-optics and acousto-optics are the most attractive areas due to the excellent electro-optic, piezoelectric, and photoelastic properties of the material. The past decade has witnessed tremendous breakthroughs of nanophotonic devices based on the emerging thin-film lithium niobate, making it a highly promising platform for new-generation integrated photonics. In this perspective, we focus on the electro-optics and acousto-optics in lithium niobate, reviewing the most recent advances and major challenges, meanwhile providing our insight on the exciting prospect of this emerging field.