Integrated optical frequency division for microwave and mmWave generation. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38448598/)

These scientists wanted to create a way to make really clear microwaves and mmWaves for communication, radar, and sensing systems. They used a technique called optical frequency division, which uses light to make these waves super pure.

To do this, they made a small system that can fit on a tiny chip. They used a special kind of cavity that helps keep everything in sync and stable, and then they used something called soliton microcombs to change the light waves into microwaves.

By doing this, they were able to make microwaves with very little noise, which is important for making sure our devices work well. This new system can also be made in a way that is compatible with other electronic devices, which means it could be made in large quantities for lots of different uses.

Sun S., Wang B., Liu K., Harrington MW., Tabatabaei F., Liu R., Wang J., Hanifi S., Morgan JS., Jahanbozorgi M., Yang Z., Bowers SM., Morton PA., Nelson KD., Beling A., Blumenthal DJ., Yi X. Integrated optical frequency division for microwave and mmWave generation. Nature. 2024 Mar 6. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07057-0.