Researchers develop a new type of frequency comb that promises to further boost the accuracy of time keeping | NIST

New device can measure the frequencies of light over a previously inaccessible range.

Top: In the new comb system, two pump lasers shape each tooth, producing a frequency comb that could theoretically be sharper than a comb produced by a single laser. Bottom: The interaction between the two lasers randomly produces solitons in two different phases, which can be understood as a soliton pulse having either a positive or negative sign. Credit: S. Kelley/NIST

March 14, 2024

Chip-based devices known as frequency combs, which measure the frequency of light waves with unparalleled precision, have revolutionized time keeping, the detection of planets outside of our solar system and high-speed optical communication.
Now, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their collaborators have developed a new way of creating the combs that promises to boost their already exquisite accuracy and allow them to measure light over a range of frequencies that was previously inaccessible. The extended range will enable frequency combs to probe cells and other biological material.

Source: Researchers develop a new type of frequency comb that promises to further boost the accuracy of time keeping | NIST