Chip-based microcomb shows path to portable atomic clocks, GPS-free navigation

NIST researchers develop a miniature optical ruler that could bring lab-quality precision to mobile devices

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Published18 October 2026

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Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) have demonstrated a new chip-based frequency comb that generates precise optical measurements without requiring bulky laboratory equipment. The breakthrough could enable portable atomic clocks for ultraprecise mobile timekeeping, providing navigation signals for drones, cars, submarines and other vehicles when GPS is unavailable or has been jammed.

NIST and JQI scientists have developed a microchip frequency comb that acts like a miniature tape measure for light, producing a spectrum of evenly spaced colors that measure light frequencies with extraordinary accuracy.

Unlike earlier approaches that needed additional power-hungry equipment to produce stable, high-quality tick marks, the new design sends light from two lasers around a tiny ring called a microresonator. The light interacts with itself to generate the evenly spaced comb lines while avoiding previous technical hurdles.

Frequency combs are essential components of optical atomic clocks, which deliver extremely precise timing signals. Mobile versions of these clocks could support military navigation, oil and gas exploration, and other applications requiring reliable timing when GPS signals are degraded or denied.

The chip-based combs are fabricated on wafers, with each wafer containing more than 400 chips and each chip housing up to 300 tiny ring-shaped resonators. The researchers reported the demonstration as a promising step toward compact, field-deployable frequency combs.

Further details of the work are available in a JQI news story and will appear in a forthcoming peer-reviewed publication.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Portable atomic clocks could replace or supplement GPS for navigation in remote, urban or contested environments.
The chip-scale approach removes a key barrier to taking advanced optical timekeeping out of the lab.
Broader applications include mineral exploration and synchronising telecommunications networks.

Background

Frequency combs are tools that produce a precise, evenly spaced set of light frequencies, effectively serving as a ruler for measuring light. The 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for their development. Traditional comb systems require large, power-intensive setups, limiting them to laboratory use. This NIST/JQI technique uses two lasers on a microresonator to generate stable combs without external bulky equipment, overcoming a major obstacle to miniaturisation.

Key Perspectives

Researchers at NIST and JQI: The new microcomb produces high-quality, stable optical frequency measurements in a compact form, showing that it is possible to move beyond lab-bound designs without sacrificing performance.

What to Watch

Whether the microcomb can be packaged into a fully portable atomic clock system.
Development of ruggedised versions for military and commercial field applications.
Potential partnerships or licensing agreements to bring the technology to market.

Sources

New Chip-Based ‘Tape Measure’ for Light Could Revolutionize Mobile Timekeeping and Enhance National Security · NIST News

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedChip-based microcomb shows path to portable atomic clocks, GPS-free navigationNIST News: “The new device could help revolutionize ultraprecise mobile timekeeping, and in turn, provide vital navigation signals for drones, cars, submarines and other vehicles when GPS is either unavailable or has been jammed.”
SupportedNIST researchers develop a miniature optical ruler that could bring lab-quality precision to mobile devicesNIST News: “researchers at NIST and their colleagues have demonstrated a new way to generate a miniature tape measure for light. Unlike previous designs, it can make high-quality optical measurements without needing to be tethered to bulky laboratory equipment.”
SupportedResearchers at NIST and JQI have demonstrated a new chip-based frequency comb that generates precise optical measurements without requiring bulky laboratory equipment.NIST News: “Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues have demonstrated a new way to generate a miniature tape measure for light. Unlike previous designs, it can make high-quality optical measurements without needing to be tethered to bulky laboratory equipment.”
SupportedThe breakthrough could enable portable atomic clocks for ultraprecise mobile timekeeping, providing navigation signals for drones, cars, submarines and other vehicles when GPS is unavailable or has been jammed.NIST News: “The new device could help revolutionize ultraprecise mobile timekeeping, and in turn, provide vital navigation signals for drones, cars, submarines and other vehicles when GPS is either unavailable or has been jammed.”
SupportedNIST and JQI scientists have developed a microchip frequency comb that acts like a miniature tape measure for light, producing a spectrum of evenly spaced colors that measure light frequencies with extraordinary accuracy.NIST News: “The miniature instruments, known as microchip frequency combs, generate a spectrum of precise, evenly spaced colors that act like tick marks on a ruler to measure the frequencies of light with extraordinary accuracy.”
SupportedUnlike earlier approaches that needed additional power-hungry equipment to produce stable, high-quality tick marks, the new design sends light from two lasers around a tiny ring called a microresonator. The light interacts with itself to generate the evenly spaced comb lines while avoiding previous technical hurdles.NIST News: “The technique avoids a problem associated with previous, single-laser methods, which required additional, power-hungry equipment to produce stable, high-quality tick marks. In their approach, scientists at NIST and JQI send light from two lasers around a tiny ring known as a microresonator. The light interacts with itself in such a way as to produce the evenly spaced “tick marks” of a comb.”
SupportedFrequency combs are essential components of optical atomic clocks, which deliver extremely precise timing signals.NIST News: “Frequency combs are essential components of optical atomic clocks, which produce extremely precise timing signals.”
Partly supportedMobile versions of these clocks could support military navigation, oil and gas exploration, and other applications requiring reliable timing when GPS signals are degraded or denied.NIST News: “Mobile optical clocks could be used for many applications beyond timekeeping, such as military navigation and oil, gas and mineral exploration.”
SupportedThe chip-based combs are fabricated on wafers, with each wafer containing more than 400 chips and each chip housing up to 300 tiny ring-shaped resonators.NIST News: “Each wafer contains more than 400 chips, with each chip housing up to 300 tiny ring-shaped resonators.”
Not in the sourcesThe researchers reported the demonstration as a promising step toward compact, field-deployable frequency combs.NIST News
Partly supportedFurther details of the work are available in a JQI news story and will appear in a forthcoming peer-reviewed publication.NIST News: “Learn more in this JQI news story: New Chip-Based Frequency Combs Demonstrate Potential for Portable Atomic Clocks”