Physics
Silicon Photonic Microresonators for Frequency Comb Generation
Quick fact
On-chip silicon microresonators can generate frequency combs spanning hundreds of nanometers with a pump power of only a few milliwatts, and can fit on a chip smaller than a square centimeter.
Why this is interesting
You've seen the rainbow pattern on a CD, but what if you could make a tiny ring on a silicon chip that acts like a prism for laser light, splitting it into thousands of precise colors? These microresonators can generate a 'frequency comb' that measures time and distance with mind-boggling accuracy.