Joint Quantum Institute at University of Maryland builds compact frequency comb

Researchers at the Joint Quantum Institute at University of Maryland have created a “pocket-sized tool” for measuring light frequencies, addressing a long-standing need for portability in physics labs. The team reports demonstrating a new chip-based optical frequency comb that performs as well as older, bulky versions while occupying a fraction of the space. These frequency combs are important for building atomic clocks, the world’s most precise timekeepers, and enabling a range of other light-based technologies. This advance builds on a decade of research by JQI scientists Grégory Moille and Kartik Srinivasan, and a collaboration led by Miro Erkintalo at the University of Auckland. The new chip-based optical frequency comb stabilizes over ten times more microcombs than previous iterations, a performance leap reported by researchers at the Joint Quantum Institute. Grégory Moille, first author on the recent Nature publication detailing the advance, explains that…