Copper-Free Photonic Chips Unlock Reliable Multi-Wavelength Light Generation
Scientists have discovered that removing trace copper ions from photonic integrated circuits enables perfect generation of optical frequency combs. This breakthrough addresses thermal instability issues that have hampered chip-scale photonic applications for decades.
Breakthrough in Photonic Chip Purity
Researchers have demonstrated that eliminating microscopic copper contamination from photonic integrated circuits enables reliable generation of sophisticated light spectra, according to a recent study published in Nature. The findings, reportedly from Ji and colleagues, reveal that even trace amounts of copper ions—previously considered negligible—can severely degrade the performance of optical microchips used in communications and sensing applications.