SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY,LIMITED and Kyushu University demonstrated ultrafast operation at 180 Gbaud and high modulation efficiency with VπL below 0.7 Vcm using an optical modulator with a KNN thin-film substrate. The work was accepted as a Post Deadline Paper at the European conference ECOC 2026.
SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY,LIMITED and Kyushu University conducted joint verification of KNN (potassium sodium niobate) as a key material for optical modulators for optoelectronic integrated devices, demonstrating high optical modulation efficiency and ultrafast operation at 180 Gbaud with an optical modulator using a KNN thin-film substrate.
VπL, an indicator of modulation efficiency, was reported to be below 0.7 Vcm, demonstrating higher performance than the reported value for standard optical modulators using TFLN. KNN thin films can be formed by sputtering, and are expected to offer a cost advantage in manufacturing compared with conventional materials.
The results were accepted as a Post Deadline Paper at the EC0C 2026 international conference held in Málaga, Spain. SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY,LIMITED and Kyushu University said they would further advance their efforts toward commercialization.
The two research institutions indicated that they would continue promoting the integration of mass-production technology and ICT technology toward commercializing optical modulators using KNN thin-film substrates.