Imagine shrinking a room-sized, super-accurate clock down to the size of a computer chip. This technology uses light instead of radio waves to keep time, making it far more precise. It's like moving from a ticking wall clock to a digital stopwatch that never loses a billionth of a second.
Current radio-frequency based clocks are too bulky or insufficiently precise for the next generation of mobile, airborne, and space-based navigation systems.
A chip-scale all-optical atomic clock utilizing Kerr soliton micro-combs and heterogeneously integrated mode-locked lasers.
If you are a satellite operator dealing with timing drift in GPS networks—this project developed a chip-scale all-optical atomic clock that provides a signal two orders of magnitude improved compared to radio frequency clocks. This ensures higher precision for networks like Galileo.
If you are a network provider dealing with synchronization errors in mobile applications—this project developed a chip-scale comb that enables high-precision time and frequency metrology. This allows for more stable and reliable mobile network timing.
If you are a hardware manufacturer dealing with the need for extreme accuracy in distance measurements—this project developed a chip-scale comb that can be used for high-precision distance measurements. This replaces bulky lab equipment with a chip-integrated solution.
Based on available project data, there is no information regarding the unit cost or pricing of the chip-scale clock.
The project is currently in the development phase, focusing on creating fabrication processes for GaAs amplifiers and AlGaAs devices. It is not yet at industrial scale.
Based on available project data, specific IP and licensing agreements are not disclosed, though the project involves a consortium of 6 partners across 5 countries.
The technology is designed to be used in future GPS networks such as Galileo to revolutionize timekeeping in mobile, airborne, or space applications.
The project period runs from 2022-10-01 to 2026-03-31, suggesting that a functional prototype should be finalized by early 2026.
The consortium is research-heavy with 4 universities and 2 SMEs, indicating a strong push from fundamental science toward commercial application. With a 33% industry ratio and partners across 5 countries (BE, CH, DE, DK, PL), the project balances academic excellence in laser physics with the practical fabrication capabilities of small-to-medium enterprises.
Contact Universiteit Gent (Belgium) for technical inquiries.
Contact us to find partners for the commercialization of chip-scale photonic timing.
