Professor Klaus Boller noted: “Our signal is more than ten times more coherent – or clean – than any other laser on a chip.”
The newly-developed laser – a hybrid device wth two photonic chips connected optically – is also tunable, which means that users can select the particular wavelength, within a broad range.
The reseachers believe their development will bring ‘countless applications’ within reach, including the control of movable antennae on phone masts for 5G mobile internet, faster data flows through fibre networks, more accurate GPS systems and better sensors for monitoring structural integrity.