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Research Directions

Silicon Photonics

Research on silicon-based photonic integrated circuits and devices for high-speed optical communication.

Y. He, Y. Zhang* et al. IEEE/OSA J. Lightw. Technol. (2025)

J. Shen, Y. Zhang* et al. Nanophotonics (2025)

C. Feng, Y. Zhang* et al. Laser & Photonics Rev. (2025)

Sub-wavelength Structures

Study of sub-wavelength structures for precise light manipulation and control in compact photonic devices.

W. Wei, X. Guo* et al. Light: Science & Applications (2023)

Y. Su, J. Li* et al. Optics Express (2024)

Z. Xu, Y. Zhang* et al. Optics Letters (2025)

Photonic AI Chips

Development of photonic chips for artificial intelligence computing with ultra-low power consumption.

Y. Zhang, J. Shen* et al. Light: Science & Applications (2025)

H. Wang, Y. Zhang* et al. Advanced Photonics (2024)

L. Wu, Z. Xu* et al. IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. (2023)

We are committed to fundamental research and application development of photonic chips and microsystems, focusing on cutting-edge areas such as silicon photonics, sub-wavelength structure light field control, and photonic artificial intelligence computing. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, we promote innovative applications of optoelectronic technology in communication, computing, sensing and other fields.

Latest Research

Reconfigurable Narrowband Optical Filter on Thin-Film Lithium Tantalate

2026-02-10 | Jing Huang , Min Sun, Yikai Su and Yong Zhang | research

Journal: IEEE Photonics Technology Letters

Narrowband optical filters with flexible tunability are key components for integrated reconfigurable wavelength division multiplexing and microwave photonic systems to cope with diverse signals and in...

Ultralow-Power Tuning and Nonvolatile Operation on a Hybrid Silicon Nitride Barium Titanate Integrated Photonics Platform

2025-12-23 | XinWang, JieTu, MinSun, WenfengZhou, ZhiboCheng, YikaiSu, BinbinChen, and YongZhang | research

Journal: ACS Nano

The information era imposes increasing demands on speed and energy efficiency, pushing conventional electronics to its physical limits. Silicon photonics offers a promising path forward, particularly ...

Compact silicon waveguide mode converter employing dielectric metasurface structure

2025-12-18 | Hongwei Wang, Yong Zhang, Yu He, Qingming Zhu, Lu Sun, Yikai Su | research

Journal: Advanced Optical Materials

Mode converters are key components in on-chip mode-division multiplexing systems. A compact silicon waveguide mode converter is proposed and demonstrated using all-dielectric metasurface structure wit...

Silicon-integrated high-speed mode and polarization switch-and-selector

2025-12-18 | Yihang Dong, Yong Zhang, Jian Shen, Zihan Xu, Xihua Zou and Yikai Su | research

Journal: Journal of Semiconductors

On-chip optical communications are growingly aiming at multimode operation together with mode-division multiplexing to further increase the transmission capacity. Optical switches, which are capable o...

On-Chip Topological Photonic Crystal Nanobeam Filters

2025-12-18 | Mo-Dian Liu, Hou-Hong Chen, Ziyu Wan*, Yong Zhang, Xin Zhou, Guo-Jing Tang, Fei Ma, Xin-Tao He, Xiao-Dong Chen*, and Jian-Wen Dong* | research

Journal: Nano Letters

We present an on-chip filter with a broad tailorable working wavelength and a single-mode operation. This is realized through the application of topological photonic crystal nanobeam filters employing...

Hybrid silicon-barium-titanate tunable racetrack resonators based on chemical solution deposition

2025-12-18 | Lei Zhang, Xin Wang, Yong Zhang*, Jian Shen, Chenglong Feng, Jian Xu, Min Liu, Wei Wang, Yongqiang Deng, Yang Xu, Yi Li, Guofeng Yin, and Yikai Su | research

Journal: APN

Integrated electro-optic tuning devices are essential parts of optical communication, sensor, and optical machine learning. Among the available materials, silicon is the most promising for on-chip sig...

Unlocking High-Speed and Energy-Efficiency: Integrated Convolution Processing on Thin-Film Lithium Niobate

2025-12-18 | Xun Zhang, Zekun Sun, Yong Zhang, Jian Shen, Yuqi Chen, Min Sun, Chang Shu, Cheng Zeng, Yongheng Jiang, Yonghui Tian, Jinsong Xia, Yikai Su | research

Journal: Laser & Photonics Reviews

Optical neural networks (ONNs) have emerged as high-performance neural network accelerators, owing to its broad bandwidth and low power consumption. However, most current ONN architectures still strug...

What can be integrated on the siliconphotonics platform and how?

2025-03-24 | Yong Zhang, Xuhan Guo, Xingchen Ji, Jian Shen, An He, Yikai Su | research

Journal: APL Photonics

We review the integration techniques for incorporating various materials into silicon-based devices. We discuss on-chip light sources with gain materials, linear electro-optic modulators using electro...

Integrated electro-optic modulator on lead zirconate titanate-silicon nitride heterogeneous platform

2024-11-15 | Wenfeng Zhou, Yong Zhang, * Yongheng Jiang, Pu Zhang, Jian Shen, Xun Zhang, Yuqi Chen, Min Sun, Feng Qiu, Huifu Xiao, Yonghui Tian, and Yikai Su | research

Journal: Optics Letters

Integrated electro-optic (EO) modulators are the core components of optoelectronic information technology, and lithium niobate is currently the most widely used crystalline thin film material, however...

Integrated Pockels modulators on silicon photonics platform

2024-10-28 | Jian Shen, Yong Zhang,* Yuqi Chen, Wenfeng Zhou, Xun Zhang, Min Sun, Xin Wang, Lei Zhang, Xingfeng Li, Jingchi Li, and Yikai Su | research

Journal: APR

Electro-optic (EO) modulators are essential components in various fields, including optical communication, free-space communication, microwave photonics, sensing, and light detection and ranging. The ...

Highly Efficient Slow-Light Mach–Zehnder Modulator Achieving 0.21 V cm Efficiency with Bandwidth Surpassing 110 GHz

2024-10-12 | Jian Shen, Yong Zhang*, Lei Zhang, Jingchi Li, Chenglong Feng, Yongheng Jiang, Hongwei Wang, Xingfeng Li, Yu He, Xingchen Ji, Guofeng Yin, Yonghui Tian, Xi Xiao, and Yikai Su* | research

Journal: Laser & Photonics Reviews

High-speed electro-optic modulators are key components in modern communication networks and various applications that require chip-scale modulation with large bandwidth, high modulation efficiency, an...

What can be integrated on the siliconphotonics platform and how?

2024-09-25 | Yong Zhang, Xuhan Guo, Xingchen Ji, Jian Shen, An He,Yikai Su | research

Journal: APL Photonics

Ultra-low-power Tunable Topological Photonic Filter on Hybrid Integrated Lithium Tantalite and Silicon Platform

2024-01-18 | Chenglong Feng, Yong Zhang*, Jian Shen, Zihan Xu, Yihang Dong, Xuecheng Fu, Ying Wang, Lu Sun, Xuetao Gan, and Yikai Su* | research

Journal: Laser & Photonics Reviews

Integrated tunable optical filters are essential components in photonic signal processors, telecom systems, sensors, and quantum optical devices. Two of the most important features of a tunable filter...

Hybrid lithium tantalite-silicon integrated photonics platform for electro-optic modulation

2023-12-01 | Jian Shen, Yong Zhang, Chenglong Feng, Zihan Xu, Lei Zhang and Yikai Su | research

Journal: Optics Letters

Integrated electro-optic modulators are key components in photonic integrated circuits. Silicon photonic technology is considered to be promising for large-scale and low-cost integration. However, sil...

High-speed electro-optic modulation in topological interface states of a one-dimensional lattice

2023-08-29 | Yong Zhang, Jian Shen, Jingchi Li, Hongwei Wang, Chenglong Feng, Lei Zhang, Lu Sun, Jian Xu, Ming Liu, Ying Wang, Yonghui Tian, Jianwen Dong, Yikai Su | research

Journal: Light: Sicence & Applications

Electro-optic modulators are key components in data communication, microwave photonics, and quantum photonics. Modulation bandwidth, energy efficiency, and device dimension are crucial metrics of modu...

A Hybrid Lithium Tantalite-Silicon Photonics Platform for Electro-Optic Tuning

2023-07-02 | Jian Shen; Yong Zhang; Chenglong Feng; Zihan Xu; Lei Zhang; Yikai Su | research

Conference: OECC

High-efficiency and ultralow-power electro-optic tuning devices are key components in photonic integrated circuits. Silicon photonic technology is considered to be promising for large-scale and low-co...

Ultralow‐Power Piezo‐Optomechanically Tuning on CMOS‐Compatible Integrated Silicon‐Hafnium‐Oxide Platform

2022-12-11 | Jian Shen, Yuyan Fan, Zihan Xu, Liying Wu, Ying Wang, Xiuyan Li, Xuetao Gan, Yong Zhang, Yikai Su | research

Journal: Laser & Photonics Reviews

Power consumption of photonic integrated circuits becomes a critical consideration. A new platform is proposed for ultralow-power tuning in silicon photonics via piezo-optomechanical coupling using ha...

Hybrid aluminum nitride and silicon devices for integrated photonics

2022-10-01 | Zihan Xu, Yong Zhang, Jian Shen, Yihang Dong, Liying Wu, Jian Xu, and Yikai Su | research

Journal: Optics Letters

A Luneburg lens with a gradient index distribution is an aberration-free and coma-free spherical lens. It has wide applications ranging from invisibility cloaks, illusion optics, and superlensing. How...

Ultra-broadband on-chip beam focusing enabled by GRIN metalens on silicon-on-insulator platform

2022-07-14 | Jian Shen , Yong Zhang , Yihang Dong , Zihan Xu , Jian Xu , Xueling Quan , Xihua Zou and Yikai Su | research

Journal: Nanophotonics

Metalens has emerged as an important optical block in free-space optical systems, which shows excellent performance. Even the metalens based on gradient index (GRIN) profiles can be implemented for on...

Record high-order mode-division-multiplexed transmission on chip using gradient-duty-cycle subwavelength gratings

2021-06-06 | PhotonMind Team | research

Conference: OFC

We demonstrate 16-channel mode (de)multiplexers on a silicon chip using gradientduty-cycle subwavelength gratings. A 1.51-Tbit/s/polarization/wavelength capacity is achieved at 1550 nm with 7 neighbor...

Ultra-broadband Mode Size Converter Using On-chip Metamaterial-based Luneburg Lens

2020-11-11 | Yong Zhang，Yu He，Hongwei Wang，Lu Sun，and Yikai Su* | research

Journal: ACS Photonics

Architecture and Devices for Silicon Photonic Switching in Wavelength, Polarization and Mode

2019-10-08 | Yong Zhang，Ruihuan Zhang，Qingming Zhu，Yuan Yuan，Yikai Su | research

Journal: IEEE/OSA J. Lightw. Technol

Switching can be performed with multiple physical dimensions of an optical signal. Previously optical switching was mainly focused in the wavelength domain. In this paper we discuss the general archit...

Silicon Polarization Splitter and Rotator with Tolerance to Width Variations Using a Nonlinearly-tapered and Partially-etched Directional Coupler

2019-03-03 | Yong Zhang, Qingming Zhu, Yu He, and Yikai Su | research

Conference: OFC

A silicon polarization splitter and rotator is experimentally demonstrated using a nonlinearly-tapered directional coupler. Adiabatic polarization splitting and rotating are achieved over a length of ...

On-chip silicon mode blocking filter employing subwavelength-grating based contra-directional coupler

2018-12-10 | Yu He, Yong Zhang, Hongwei Wang, Yikai Su | research

Journal: Optics Express

Mode blocking may be required in mode-division multiplexing (MDM) systems. We demonstrate a silicon mode blocking filter using a subwavelength grating-based contra-directional coupler. The device is c...

Silicon High-Order Mode (De)Multiplexer on Single Polarization

2018-10-29 | Yu He, Yong Zhang, Qingming Zhu, Shaohua An, Ruiyuan Cao, Xuhan Guo, Ciyuan Qiu, Yikai Su | research

Journal: IEEE/OSA J. Lightw. Technol.

Mode-division multiplexing on an integrated photonic chip is critical for future optical networks. High-order mode multiplexing is desired to increase the transmission capacity. Here, we propose and e...

Integrated Multi-Channel Millimeter Wave Photonic Generation Based on A Silicon Chip with Automated Polarization Control

2018-09-23 | Ruiyuan Cao; Yu He; Qingming Zhu; Jingchi Li; Shaohua An; Yong Zhang | research

Conference: ECOC

We propose and experimentally demonstrate multi-channel millimeter wave (MMW) generation on a silicon chip. Automated polarization-control function is demonstrated, and 5 channels of 28-GHz MMW carryi...

Single-resonance silicon nanobeam filter with an ultra-high thermo-optic tuning efficiency over a wide continuous tuning range

2018-09-15 | Yong Zhang, Yu He, Qingming Zhu, Xuhan Guo, Ciyuan Qiu, Yikai Su, and Richard Soref | research

Journal: Optics Letters

Energy-efficient tunability is highly desired for silicon photonic devices. We demonstrate a thermo-optic tunable filter with an ultra-high tuning efficiency based on a suspended photonic crystal nano...

Ultralow Power Nonlinear Response in an Si Photonic Crystal Nanocavity

2018-08-05 | Yong Zhang, Danping Li, Cheng Zeng, Yu Shi, Zengzhi Huang, Jinzhong Yu, and Jinsong Xia | research

Journal: IEEE Photon. J.

Optical nonlinear response and bistability behavior are observed in a fabricated silicon photonic crystal three defect-long (L3) nanocavity. The L3 cavity, which is coupled with a photonic crystal wav...

On-chip silicon polarization and mode handling devices

2018-04-12 | Yong Zhang, Yu He, Qingming Zhu, Xinhong Jiang, Xuhan Guo, Ciyuan Qiu & Yikai Su | research

Journal: Frontiers of Optoelectronics

Mode- and polarization-division multiplexing are new promising options to increase the transmission capacity of optical communications. On-chip silicon polarization and mode handling devices are key c...

Ultra-compact Silicon Polarization Beam Splitter with a Short Coupling Length of 0.768 μm

2018-03-11 | Yong Zhang; Xiaodong Wang; Xuhan Guo; Ciyuan Qiu; Xiulan Cheng; Yikai Su | research

Conference: OFC

We demonstrate an ultra-compact silicon polarization beam splitter with a coupling length of 0.768 μm. Lower than 2-dB insertion losses and over 10-dB extinction ratios are achieved over a wavelength ...

On-chip silicon photonic 2 × 2 mode- and polarization- selective switch with low inter-modal crosstalk

2017-10-01 | Yong Zhang, Yu He, Qingming Zhu, Ciyuan Qiu, Yikai Su | research

Journal: Photonics Research

Mode- and polarization-division multiplexing offer new dimensions to increase the transmission capacity of optical communications. Selective switches are key components in reconfigurable optical netwo...

Silicon photonic bandpass filter based on apodized subwavelength grating with high suppression ratio and short coupling length

2017-05-08 | Boyu Liu, Yong Zhang, Yu He, Xinhong Jiang, Jizong Peng, Ciyuan Qiu, and Yikai Su | research

Journal: Optics Express

A compact silicon bandpass filter with high sidelobe suppression is proposed and experimentally demonstrated using an apodized subwavelength grating (SWG) coupler. The device is implemented by placing...

Silicon 1 × 2 Mode- and Polarization-selective Switch

2017-03-19 | Yong Zhang, Qingming Zhu, Yu He, Ciyuan Qiu, Yikai Su, and Richard Soref | research

Conference: OFCC

We experimentally demonstrate an on-chip silicon 1×2 switch that routes 8 data channels on 4 modes and 2 polarizations. The insertion losses are < 8dB, and the crosstalk values are below -15dB. The 8 ...

Ultra-compact and highly efficient silicon polarization splitter and rotator

2016-10-09 | Yong Zhang, Yu He, Xinhong Jiang, Boyu Liu, Ciyuan Qiu, Yikai Su and Richard A. Soref | research

Journal: APL Photonics

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an ultra-compact and highly efficientpolarizationsplitter and rotator based on asiliconbent directional coupler structure. The TM-to-TE cross-polarization cou...

Ultra-compact and Highly Efficient Polarization Splitter and Rotator Based on a Silicon Bent Directional Coupler

2016-09-18 | Yong Zhang; Yu He; Xinhong Jiang; Boyu Liu; Ciyuan Qiu; Yikai Su | research

Conference: ECOC

An ultra-compact (coupling length ~ 8.77 micrometer) silicon polarization splitter and rotator is demonstrated based on a bent directional coupler. The peak TM-TE coupling efficiency reaches 96.6%. Th...

Ultra-compact broadband silicon polarization beam splitter based on a bridged bent directional coupler

2016-08-24 | Yong Zhang; Yu He; Xinhong Jiang; Boyu Liu; Ciyuan Qiu; Yikai Su | research

Conference: GFP

An ultra-compact (coupling length ∼ 6.28 μm) broadband polarization splitter is experimentally demonstrated based on a silicon bridged bent directional coupler. The polarization extinction ratios are ...

High-extinction-ratio and fabrication-tolerant polarization beam splitter based on grating-assisted contradirectional couplers

2016-03-20 | Yong Zhang; Yu He; Jiayang Wu; Ruili Liu; Ciyuan Qiu; Yikai Su | research

Conference: OFC

A fabrication-tolerant polarization beam splitter (PBS) based on grating-assisted contradirectional couplers is experimentally demonstrated. Over 30-dB extinction ratios are achieved for both polariza...

Operation Bandwidth Optimization of Photonic Differentiators

2015-07-27 | Siqi Yan, Yong Zhang, Jianji Dong, Aoling Zheng, Shasha Liao, Hailong Zhou, Zhao Wu, Jinsong Xia, Xinliang Zhang | research

Journal: Optics Express

We theoretically investigate the operation bandwidth limitation of the photonic differentiator including the upper limitation, which is restrained by the device operation bandwidth and the lower limit...

High-extinction-ratio silicon polarization beam splitter with tolerance to waveguide width and coupling length variations

2015-07-27 | Yong Zhang, Yu He, Jiayang Wu, Xinhong Jiang, Ruili Liu, Ciyuan Qiu, Xiaoqing Jiang, Jianyi Yang, Christine Tremblay, Yikai Su | research

Journal: Optics Express

We demonstrate a compact silicon polarization beam splitter (PBS) based on grating-assisted contradirectional couplers (GACCs). Over 30-dB extinction ratios and less than 1-dB insertion losses are ach...

Experimental demonstration of analog signal transmission in a silicon photonic crystal L3 resonator

2015-05-19 | Chengcheng Gui, Yong Zhang, Jing Du, Jinsong Xia, and Jian Wang | research

Journal: Optics Express

We design and fabricate a silicon photonic crystal L3 resonator for chip-scale analog signal transmission. The lattice constant (a) is 420 nm, and the radius of holes (r) is 126 nm. The three holes ad...

Slow-Light Dispersion in One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Racetrack Ring Resonator

2015-05-15 | Yong Zhang，Xingzhi Qiu，Cheng Zeng，Danping Li，Ge Gao，Yi Wang，Jinzhong Yu，Jinsong Xia | research

Journal: IEEE Photon. Tech. Lett.

A one-dimensional photonic crystal racetrack ring resonator coupling with an optimized bus waveguide on a silicon-on-insulator wafer is proposed and demonstrated. The nonuniform free spectral range is...

Single-Mode Emission from Ge Quantum Dots in Photonic Crystal Nanobeam Cavity

2015-05-01 | Yong Zhang, Cheng Zeng, He Zhang, Danping Li, Ge Gao, Qingzhong Huang, Yi Wang, Jinzhong Yu and Jinsong Xia | research

Journal: IEEE Photon. Tech. Lett.

A freestanding one-dimensional photonic crystal nanobeam cavity embedded with Ge self-assembled quantum dots is designed and fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. Only one photoluminescence ...

Low Power and Large Modulation Depth Optical Bistability in an Si Photonic Crystal L3 Cavity

2014-12-01 | Yong Zhang, Danping Li, Cheng Zeng, Xingzhi Qiu, Ge Gao, Yi Wang, Qingzhong Huang, Jinzhong Yu, and Jinsong Xia | research

Journal: IEEE Photon. Tech. Lett.

Optical bistability with low power and large modulation depth is observed in the silicon 2D photonic crystal 3 defect-long (L3) cavity coupling with a photonic crystal waveguide experimentally. The ca...

Enhanced light emission from Ge quantum dots in photonic crystal ring resonator

2014-05-19 | Yong Zhang, Cheng Zeng, Danping Li, Xiangjie Zhao, Ge Gao, Jinzhong Yu, Jinsong Xia | research

Journal: Optics Express

Light emitter based on Ge quantum dots embedded in photonic crystal ring resonator is designed and fabricated. Six sharp resonant peaks dominate the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum ranging from 1500 t...

Silicon optical diode based on cascaded photonic crystal cavities

2014-03-05 | Yong Zhang, Danping Li, Cheng Zeng, Zengzhi Huang, Yi Wang, Qingzhong Huang, Ying Wu, Jinzhong Yu, and Jinsong Xia | research

Journal: Optics Letters

An all-silicon passive optical diode based on optical nonlinearity in cascaded photonic crystal (PhC) L3 cavities is proposed and demonstrated. A nonreciprocal transmission ratio (NTR) of 30.8 dB and ...

High-quality-factor photonic crystal ring resonator

2014-03-01 | Yong Zhang, Cheng Zeng, Danping Li, Ge Gao, Zengzhi Huang, Jinzhong Yu, and Jinsong Xia | research

Journal: Optics Letters

A design for enhancing the quality (Q) factor of a photonic crystal ring resonator (PCRR) is introduced. The highest Q factor based on simulations is 121,000. The analysis of momentum space distributi...

Enhanced 1524-nm Emission From Ge Quantum Dots in a Modified Photonic Crystal L3 Cavity

2013-09-10 | Yong Zhang, Cheng Zeng, Danping Li, Zengzhi Huang, Kezheng Li, Jinzhong Yu, Juntao Li, Xuejun Xu, Takuya Maruizumi, and Jinsong Xia | research

Journal: IEEE Photon. J.

Light emitters based on Ge quantum dots embedded in modified photonic crystal three defect-long (L3) cavities are fabricated and characterized. Several sharp resonant luminescence peaks dominate the p...