Russian scientists have created a chip that can replace powerful laser installation – Tatar-inform

(Kazan, January 2, “Tatar-inform”). A scientist from the Moscow State University and his colleagues created a chip that can replace a complex laser system, according to RIA “Novosti” with reference to the press service of the Moscow State University.

«A group of Russian and Swiss physicists created a chip that generates femtosecond pulses of light with special frequency spectrum called “optical comb”, that is, to do what previously was possible to achieve only by using large and complex laser systems, “- said in a statement.

femtosecond optical comb – the invention, which appeared in the late 1990s ‘s, which were in demand in various fields – telecommunications systems in laser spectroscopy in astrophysics. In 2005, the authors, Theodor Hänsch of Germany and John Hall from the United States, received the Nobel Prize for it.

«For such combs used in mode-locked lasers. With this technique the laser emits light of the same frequency is not, as is customary to think of lasers, and several “events” – the light rays with multiple frequencies. If these modes are synchronized, that is, to make sure that their phases are tightly linked, as a result of interference of these modes continuous laser beam is transformed into a sequence of pulses with the spectrum of “comb”, – explained in the high school.

To create such combs Physics, Moscow State University and Russian Quantum Center suggested the use of “solitons”, that is compactly packed waves peculiar electromagnetic tsunami that behave like particles.

«The difference, of course, huge. If the mode-locked lasers to generate pulses uses sophisticated optical devices, media and special mirrors, we get the same stable pulses in a simple passive resonators embedded in a microchip and having a size not more than 100-200 microns, “- said one of the Russian co-authors of the article, Professor Faculty of Physics Mikhail Gorodetsky.

According to the scientist, changed the quality of the combs – are now able to reduce the duration of the pulses from 100-200 to 30 femtoseconds, which not only reduces the size, complexity and cost of generators combs but in addition, it opens up new horizons for the use of modes, “unattainable by other methods».

The message of this study were published in the journal Science on January 1.

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