'Rainbow-on-a-chip' could help unlock 6G networks and precision timing for quantum technologies

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Add as preferred source Why the "rainbow" comparison? Like a rainbow, a microcomb is made up of many different frequencies of light. In a rainbow, these frequencies blend together. In a microcomb, the frequencies are separated and precisely spaced—like the teeth of a comb. The light produced by the microcomb in this study is invisible to the human eye. Illustration generated using artificial intelligence. Credit: Loughborough University Loughborough University physicists and an international team have demonstrated that a grain-of-rice-sized microchip can be used to produce a spectrum of precisely spaced frequencies of light, which is then converted into multiple high-frequency electromagnetic signals known as millimeter waves.