Bridging physics and information technology

Researchers are excited about the potential of microcombs, miniature devices that generate precise time and frequency standards. These microcombs could revolutionize fields from high-speed communication, high-resolution measurements to precise atomic clocks.

Traditionally, frequency combs were large and complex, but microcombs offer a compact and powerful alternative. They achieve this via the Kerr effect or optoelectronic modulation, where light interacts with nonlinear materials to generate a broad spectrum of coherent frequencies.

Recent breakthroughs in microcomb design and control are opening doors for novel approaches ranging from classical to quantum information applications.

A research review in eLight explores innovative advancements in microcombs, from enhancing functionality to exploring real-world scenarios. The applications of microcombs are vast. Serving as information carriers, they can achieve versatile signal generation, synchronization, and boost data transmission rates.

For information acquisition, microcombs can be used for precise spectroscopy, enabling detailed analysis of molecules and materials, and hold promise for medical imaging and astronomical observation. For information processing, microcombs could be an ideal light source for radio frequency processing, nonlinear conversion, and photonic computation.

Finally, the review discusses how to broaden the functions and improve the performance of microcombs in the future, especially potential breakthroughs in the trade-offs between power and efficiency, speed and density, stability and controllability.

The article outlines the roadmap for further exploration and development of microcomb technologies, suggesting that microcombs can potentially transform various scientific and industrial sectors, bringing us closer to a future shaped by precise light and information control.