On-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution using the sine-cosine encoder approach

Abstract Real-time measurement of optical frequency variations (OFVs) is crucial for various applications including laser frequency control, optical computing, and optical sensing. Traditional devices, though accurate, are often too large, slow, and costly. Here we present a photonic integrated circ...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: X. Steve Yao, Yulong Yang, Xiaosong Ma, Zhongjin Lin, Yuntao Zhu, Wei Ke, Heyun Tan, Xichen Wang, Xinlun Cai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58251-1
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850153636587372544
author X. Steve Yao
Yulong Yang
Xiaosong Ma
Zhongjin Lin
Yuntao Zhu
Wei Ke
Heyun Tan
Xichen Wang
Xinlun Cai
author_facet X. Steve Yao
Yulong Yang
Xiaosong Ma
Zhongjin Lin
Yuntao Zhu
Wei Ke
Heyun Tan
Xichen Wang
Xinlun Cai
author_sort X. Steve Yao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Real-time measurement of optical frequency variations (OFVs) is crucial for various applications including laser frequency control, optical computing, and optical sensing. Traditional devices, though accurate, are often too large, slow, and costly. Here we present a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip, utilizing the sine-cosine encoder principle, for high-speed and high-resolution real-time OFV measurement. Fabricated on a thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) platform, this chip-sized optical frequency detector (OFD) (5.5 mm × 2.7 mm) achieves a speed of up to 2500 THz/s and a resolution as fine as 2 MHz over a range exceeding 160 nm. Our robust algorithm overcomes the device imperfections and ensures precise quantification of OFV parameters. As a practical demonstration, the PIC OFD surpasses existing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogators in sensitivity and speed for strain and vibration measurements. This work opens new avenues for on-chip OFV detection and offers significant potential for diverse applications involving OFV measurement.
format Article
id doaj-art-2f57caa8d3564029b42e2b7cda0cd2ce
institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-2f57caa8d3564029b42e2b7cda0cd2ce2025-08-20T02:25:40ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-0116111210.1038/s41467-025-58251-1On-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution using the sine-cosine encoder approachX. Steve Yao0Yulong Yang1Xiaosong Ma2Zhongjin Lin3Yuntao Zhu4Wei Ke5Heyun Tan6Xichen Wang7Xinlun Cai8Photonics Information Innovation Center and Hebei Provincial Center for Optical Sensing Innovations, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei UniversityPhotonics Information Innovation Center and Hebei Provincial Center for Optical Sensing Innovations, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei UniversityPhotonics Information Innovation Center and Hebei Provincial Center for Optical Sensing Innovations, College of Physics Science and Technology, Hebei UniversityState Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-sen UniversityState Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-sen UniversityLiobate TechnologiesState Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-sen UniversityNeoPIC TechnologiesState Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology, Sun Yat-sen UniversityAbstract Real-time measurement of optical frequency variations (OFVs) is crucial for various applications including laser frequency control, optical computing, and optical sensing. Traditional devices, though accurate, are often too large, slow, and costly. Here we present a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip, utilizing the sine-cosine encoder principle, for high-speed and high-resolution real-time OFV measurement. Fabricated on a thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) platform, this chip-sized optical frequency detector (OFD) (5.5 mm × 2.7 mm) achieves a speed of up to 2500 THz/s and a resolution as fine as 2 MHz over a range exceeding 160 nm. Our robust algorithm overcomes the device imperfections and ensures precise quantification of OFV parameters. As a practical demonstration, the PIC OFD surpasses existing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogators in sensitivity and speed for strain and vibration measurements. This work opens new avenues for on-chip OFV detection and offers significant potential for diverse applications involving OFV measurement.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58251-1
spellingShingle X. Steve Yao
Yulong Yang
Xiaosong Ma
Zhongjin Lin
Yuntao Zhu
Wei Ke
Heyun Tan
Xichen Wang
Xinlun Cai
On-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution using the sine-cosine encoder approach
Nature Communications
title On-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution using the sine-cosine encoder approach
title_full On-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution using the sine-cosine encoder approach
title_fullStr On-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution using the sine-cosine encoder approach
title_full_unstemmed On-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution using the sine-cosine encoder approach
title_short On-chip real-time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution using the sine-cosine encoder approach
title_sort on chip real time detection of optical frequency variations with ultrahigh resolution using the sine cosine encoder approach
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58251-1
work_keys_str_mv AT xsteveyao onchiprealtimedetectionofopticalfrequencyvariationswithultrahighresolutionusingthesinecosineencoderapproach
AT yulongyang onchiprealtimedetectionofopticalfrequencyvariationswithultrahighresolutionusingthesinecosineencoderapproach
AT xiaosongma onchiprealtimedetectionofopticalfrequencyvariationswithultrahighresolutionusingthesinecosineencoderapproach
AT zhongjinlin onchiprealtimedetectionofopticalfrequencyvariationswithultrahighresolutionusingthesinecosineencoderapproach
AT yuntaozhu onchiprealtimedetectionofopticalfrequencyvariationswithultrahighresolutionusingthesinecosineencoderapproach
AT weike onchiprealtimedetectionofopticalfrequencyvariationswithultrahighresolutionusingthesinecosineencoderapproach
AT heyuntan onchiprealtimedetectionofopticalfrequencyvariationswithultrahighresolutionusingthesinecosineencoderapproach
AT xichenwang onchiprealtimedetectionofopticalfrequencyvariationswithultrahighresolutionusingthesinecosineencoderapproach
AT xinluncai onchiprealtimedetectionofopticalfrequencyvariationswithultrahighresolutionusingthesinecosineencoderapproach