Compact Piezoelectric Photonic Crystal Modulator

Provided herein is a photonic modulator and methods for controlling a photonic modulator that can control the phase and/or amplitude of photons being transmitted through the modulator to minimize photonic loss while remaining power efficient and operating at high speeds. The photonic modulator can include a substrate with a pair of piezoelectric cantilevers spaced apart from one another by a gap, with a photonic waveguide disposed in the substrate that extends across the modulator and bridges the gap between the piezoelectric cantilevers. In one or more examples, the piezoelectric cantilevers can be configured to move away from the substrate in response to an electrical signal, such that a refractive index of the photonic waveguide is altered.

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