Lithium Niobate Crystals (LN & MgO:LN)
G&H Lithium Niobate (LN) and MgO:LN crystals and boules offer excellent electro-optic and nonlinear properties, ideal for modulators, frequency conversion, and high-power laser systems.
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©️ Raytheon TFLN waferU.S. Production of Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Wafers Supporting Defense & Commercial Photonics
News
February 2026 - Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Gooch & Housego (G&H) (LON: GHH), a global designer and manufacturer of advanced photonic materials, components, and systems, today announced its role in establishing a new domestic manufacturing capability for thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) wafers, a critical material underpinning next-generation photonic technologies for defense and commercial applications.
The initiative is being executed in collaboration with Raytheon, an RTX business, following the award of a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory contract to develop a secure, U.S.-based TFLN supply chain. G&H’s Cleveland, Ohio facility will serve as the domestic production site for TFLN wafers as the program transitions from process development into low-rate initial production.
Thin-film lithium niobate is a foundational material for high-speed, low-loss photonic systems used in secure communications, sensing, and signal processing. Demand for TFLN is rapidly increasing across defense, aerospace, telecommunications, data centers, and emerging computing architectures, while global supply remains highly concentrated outside the United States.
“Establishing U.S.-based production of thin-film lithium niobate is a strategic step for strengthening domestic photonics capability,” said Dr. Stratos Kehayas, President of the Photonics Division at G&H. “G&H’s vertically integrated crystal growth, wafer processing, and manufacturing expertise enables the reliable transition of advanced photonic materials from laboratory development into scalable, production-ready supply - supporting both national security and commercial innovation.”
Under the collaboration, Raytheon’s Advanced Technology team is developing the ion-slicing process required to produce high-quality TFLN wafers. Once the process is established, G&H will manufacture the wafers in Cleveland, leveraging its U.S.-based infrastructure, quality systems, and experience supporting regulated defense and aerospace programs. Raytheon will continue to work closely with G&H to support technology transfer, qualification, and production readiness.
Initial domestic production is expected to begin in early 2026, with capacity expansion planned to support broader defense industrial base and commercial market demand.
About Gooch & Housego (G&H)
G&H is a global designer and manufacturer of advanced photonic materials, components, and systems serving aerospace and defense, industrial, telecom, and life sciences markets. With vertically integrated capabilities spanning crystal growth, precision wafer processing, optical fabrication, and regulated manufacturing, G&H supports customers from early-stage development through full-rate production and long-term lifecycle management. The company maintains established U.S. manufacturing operations that enable secure, domestic supply of critical photonic technologies.
About Raytheon
Raytheon, an RTX business, is a leading provider of defense solutions to help the U.S. government, our allies and partners defend their national sovereignty and ensure their security. For more than 100 years, Raytheon has developed new technologies and enhanced existing capabilities in integrated air and missile defense, smart weapons, missiles, advanced sensors and radars, interceptors, space-based systems, hypersonics and missile defense across land, air, sea and space.
About RTX
With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. With industry-leading capabilities, we advance aviation, engineer integrated defense systems for operational success, and develop next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2025 sales of more than $88 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
