Ring resonator-based photonic microwave receiver modulator with picowatt sensitivity

The authors report an enhanced LiNbO(3) microdisk photonic microwave receiver modulator with a sensitivity of 3 pW (-85 dBm) and a bandwidth of 60 MHz centred at 14.6 GHz. The sensitivity of the modulator is improved by using a critically coupled microwave ring resonator and a modified ground plane for passive E-field amplification and confinement.