In recent years, integrated acousto-optic modulators based on sub-wavelength acoustic waveguides have made significant progress in the fields of optical communications, quantum information processing, and optical computing. By restricting acoustic and optical waves to the sub-wavelength scale, the acousto-optic interaction strength has been significantly enhanced, achieving high modulation efficiency and low power consumption. Materials such as lithium niobate (LiNbO3) and sapphire (Al2O3) are widely used in the design of sub-wavelength acoustic waveguides due to their excellent optical and acoustic properties and good compatibility with optical waveguides. The high electro-optical effect of lithium niobate makes it an ideal material for integrated acousto-optic modulators, while sapphire excels in high power applications due to its extremely high thermal conductivity and mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the proposal of non-suspended waveguide design has become a major breakthrough in this field, effectively reducing waveguide loss and providing higher integration. In this paper, we first introduced the basic principles of integrated acousto-optic modulators based on sub-wavelength acoustic waveguides, and then reviewed recent key research results in this field. Finally, we explored its potential applications in microwave-optical wave conversion and isolators, and outlined future research trends.
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