Piezoelectrically actuated silicon-nitride-based high-speed spatial light modulator

Advancements in light modulator technology have been driving discoveries and progress across various fields. The problem of large-scale coherent optical control of atomic quantum systems—including cold atoms, ions, and solid-state color centers—presents among the most stringent requirements. This motivates a new generation of high-speed large-scale modulator technology operating in the visible to near-infrared wavelength range. We introduce a scalable modulator technology based on piezoelectrically actuated silicon nitride resonant waveguide gratings fabricated on 200 mm diameter silicon wafers with CMOS-compatible processes. We present a proof-of-concept device with 4 × 4 individually addressable 50 μm × 50 μm pixels or channels, each containing a resonant waveguide grating with a ~ 780 nm design wavelength, supporting > 100 MHz modulation speeds, and a spectral response with > 20 dB extinction.