Abstract
Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) enable a wide array of technologies, including radiofrequency filters1,2, chemical and biological sensors3,4,5, acousto-optic devices6,7,8, acoustic control of microfluidic flow in lab-on-a-chip systems9,10,11 and quantum phononics12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19. Although numerous methods exist for generating SAWs, they each have intrinsic limitations that inhibit performance, operation at high frequencies and use in systems constrained in size, weight and power. Here we present a completely solid-state, single-chip SAW phonon laser consisting of a lithium niobate SAW resonator with an internal, d.c. electrically injected and broadband semiconductor gain medium with <0.15 mm2 footprint. Below the threshold bias of 36 V, the device behaves as a resonant amplifier, and above it exhibits self-sustained coherent oscillation, linewidth narrowing and high output powers. A continuous on-chip acoustic output power of up to −6.1 dBm is generated at 1 GHz with a resolution-limited linewidth of <77 Hz and a carrier phase noise of −57 dBc Hz−1 at 1 kHz offset. Through detailed modelling, we show pathways for improving the performance of these devices, including mHz linewidths, high power efficiencies and footprints under 550 μm2 at 10 GHz. This demonstration paves the way for ultrahigh-frequency SAW sources on-chip and highly miniaturized SAW-based systems that can be operated without an external radiofrequency source.
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Data availability
Source data are available from the corresponding author upon request.
Code availability
No custom computer code or mathematical algorithm was used to generate the results that are reported in this study.
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Acknowledgements
This material is based on research sponsored in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through a Young Faculty Award under grant D23AP00174-00. The views and conclusions contained here are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, by DARPA, the Department of the Interior, or the US government. This work is supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development programme at Sandia National Laboratories, a multimission laboratory managed and operated by the National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the US Department of Energy under contract DE-NA0003525. This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, an Office of Science User Facility, operated for the US Department of Energy Office of Science. This paper describes objective technical results and analysis. Any subjective views or opinions that might be expressed in the paper do not necessarily represent the views of the US Department of Energy or the US government.
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A.W., M.J.S. and M.E. came up with the device concepts and experimental implementations. A.W. performed simulations of the main devices. W.H. performed simulations of the proposed wave-guided device. E.C. developed the spontaneous emission theory. P.-S.W. performed the epitaxial growth. S.A. and T.A.F. bonded the heterostructures. M.M. and B.S. fabricated the devices. L.H. coordinated the semiconductor growth bonding and fabrication. A.W. and D.A. made all measurements. A.W., M.J.S. and M.E. analysed all data. A.W., M.J.S. and M.E. wrote the paper.
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Nature thanks Sourav Banerjee, Siddartha Ghosh, Kevin Silverman, Zixuan Wang, Guangzong Xiao and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Peer reviewer reports are available.
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Extended data figures and tables
Extended Data Fig. 1 Broadband threshold behavior.
Under threshold, multiple longitudinal modes demonstrate amplified spontaneous emission. Upon reaching threshold, one single mode undergoes linewidth narrowing and oscillates. The other modes continue to demonstrate low levels of amplified spontaneous emission.
Extended Data Fig. 2 Additional device characterization.
Four additional devices were characterized. Here we display the threshold, linewidth narrowing, phase noise, and linewidth of each device.
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Wendt, A., Storey, M.J., Miller, M. et al. An electrically injected solid-state surface acoustic wave phonon laser. Nature 649, 597–603 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09950-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09950-8
