Integrated phononic-photonic circuits on GaAs as a platform for microwave to optical signal transduction

Efficient conversion between microwave and optical frequency signals plays an important role in classical and quantum information processing. Recent advances in superconducting devices for quantum technologies have put significant constraints on conversion frequency, power and efficiency between phononic and photonic domains. Here, we demonstrate an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) for conversion of microwave signals up to 2.5 GHz to optical signals in the telecom wavelength range. The modulator is fabricated on a suspended Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) integrated photonic circuit platform, where an unsuspended interdigital transducer (IDT) drives surface acoustic waves to modulate the light travelling in a suspended photonic micro-ring resonator, Fig. 1(a) .