Electro-optical device with silicon-rich nitride waveguide and lithium niobate layer

A method for fabricating an electro-optical device, comprising:

• providing a CMOS compliant structure including a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from each other within a silicon dioxide region;
• forming a silicon-rich nitride waveguide on the silicon dioxide region between the first electrode and the second electrode;
• and
• bonding a first item including a lithium niobate layer to the silicon dioxide region such that the lithium niobate layer is positioned adjacent to the silicon-rich nitride waveguide.

A method for operating an electro-optical device, comprising:

• providing an electro-optical device including a first item having a lithium niobate layer bonded to a second item having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a silicon-rich nitride waveguide positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode and adjacent to the lithium niobate layer;
• propagating an optical signal through a hybrid optical mode residing in both the silicon-rich nitride waveguide and the lithium niobate layer;
• and
• applying an RF signal to the first electrode and the second electrode to generate an electric field that modulates an optical property of the lithium niobate layer, thereby modulating the optical signal.