Proposal for Forward Brillouin Inter-Modal Scattering in Non-suspended Lithium Niobate Waveguides at Visible Wavelengths

Abstract: Thin-film lithium niobate on sapphire provides an excellent platform for simultaneously confining acoustic and optical modes without suspended structures, enabling efficient acousto-optic modulation through strong piezoelectric coupling. Here, we identify the challenges in realizing the forward Brillouin interaction at visible wavelengths, and overcome the limitation by introducing a quasi-phase-matching scheme through periodic waveguide width modulation. We predict a complete inter-modal optical conversion over 1.1 mm using only 1 mW acoustic power. Our study paves the way for high-performance visible-wavelength acousto-optic devices on integrated platforms.