Imagine knowing your exact location to centimeters, or taking time measurements so precise that subtle changes in the Earth’s surface can be detected. The breakthrough of miniature light atomic clocks brings this future closer to reality, with potential implications for everything from autonomous vehicles to volcanic monitoring.
Scientists at Purdue University and Chalmers Technology University have developed a chip-based technology that can help shrink from lab-sized settings to components small enough to fit everyday devices.
From rice to centimeter
“Today’s atomic clocks can give GPS systems a few meters of position accuracy,” explained Professor Minghao Qi of Purdue University. “With the optical atomic clock, you may only achieve a few centimeters of accuracy. This can improve the autonomy of the vehicle and based on the vehicle,” explains. All electronic systems that are located.”
The researchers’ innovation focused on a device called Microcombs – tiny chips produce evenly spaced light frequencies similar to comb’s teeth. These chips are the key bridge between the ultra-high frequencies used in optical atomic clocks and the electronic signals required to calculate the time.
Solve the challenge of miniaturization
Current atomic clocks power our GPS systems and digital devices, but they usually use microwave frequencies. Newer optical atomic clocks provide higher accuracy, but are still limited to laboratories due to their size and complexity.
The research team overcomes this limitation through innovative pairing of micro islands. “We managed to solve the problem by pairing two micro motorcycles, whose combs are close but with less offsets,” said Kaiyi Wu, lead author of the study. This configuration allows the system to bring accurate light signals to the system. Convert to more manageable electronic frequencies.
Beyond Navigation
The meaning goes far beyond a more accurate GP. Professor QI noted that the photoatomic clock “can detect the minimum change in latitude on the Earth’s surface and can be used to monitor volcanic activity.”
The technology integrates photonic components, including frequency combs, atomic sources, and lasers, into chips that measure only microns. The team’s photonic chip contains 40 micro generators, which are only 5 mm wide.
From the laboratory to daily life
“Phonium integration technology enables the integration of optical components of optical atomic clocks… to the size of a micron microphoton chips, greatly reducing the size and weight of the system.”
Chalmers and research co-author Victor Torres Company sees a broader meaning: “We hope that future advances in materials and manufacturing technology can further simplify technology, bringing us closer to a world of super professional timeouts and bringing us closer to our mobile phones and functions in the computer.”
The road ahead
Although this study represents an important step forward, a complete chip system is still being created. The technology can ultimately implement optical atomic clocks in satellites, remote research stations and drones – applications that are currently impossible to use in traditional laboratory-sized systems.
The study, titled “Vernier Microcomb for Integrated Photon Atomic Clocks”, was published in Nature Photonics. It represents a collaboration between researchers at Purdue University, Chalmers Technical University and King’s University of Saudi Arabia.
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