UCLA-led team develops tiny, stable and super-accurate clock component

A joint team from UCLA and OEwaves has developed a compact optical micro-oscillator, just one cubic centimeter in size, that delivers laboratory-grade clock stability while remaining rugged enough for satellites, vehicles, and other field applications.

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Using a whispering-gallery-mode resonator, the device confines laser light in a way that resists environmental disturbances such as temperature and pressure fluctuations. As a result, its frequency drift stays under 0.1 parts per billion, making it three to five times more stable than existing non-laboratory devices and potentially up to 60 times better under real-world conditions.

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According to Lute Maleki, CEO of OEwaves, this miniature stabilized oscillator is a key step toward reducing size, weight, and power in optical clocks, enabling precision timing, navigation, and sensing outside controlled laboratory settings.

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Applications for this breakthrough extend beyond spacecraft and satellites. The technology could support ultra-precise navigation in vehicles, high-performance optical spectroscopy, and compact timing components for systems where stability is critical despite challenging environments.

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Read more here.

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