Sumitomo Chemical and Kyushu University Demonstrate KNN Optical Modulator Wafers

Sumitomo Chemical and Kyushu University jointly verified potassium sodium niobate (KNN) as a core optical modulator material for co-packaged optics. Sumitomo produced the KNN thin-film wafers, and the university designed, fabricated and evaluated the modulator devices, which operated at 180 Gbaud with a VπL below 0.7 Vcm. That is roughly three times the modulation efficiency of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) devices, according to the release. The results were accepted as a post-deadline paper at ECOC 2026 in Spain.

Key facts

Market context

Niobate materials are central to high-speed optical modulators, which convert electrical signals into light for fiber-optic links. Thin-film lithium niobate has been the established platform for these devices, and demand for it is driven largely by data center interconnects, where AI clusters require rapidly growing bandwidth and lower power per bit. Co-packaged optics, which place photonic components close to switching silicon, is another growing application. Potassium sodium niobate is a lead-free piezoelectric and electro-optic oxide that is generally regarded as a possible alternative to lithium niobate in these devices. Any credible shift toward a different niobate material would matter to suppliers of raw niobium chemicals, substrate and wafer makers, and photonic foundries, since it could change which materials and fabrication lines are favored. Demonstration results like these typically move through qualification and scale-up stages before they affect commercial volumes or pricing, so buyers and investors usually watch for independent validation and manufacturing readiness.

Source: official release on sumitomo-chem.co.jp. Summary and context written by Market Krystal.