Chip-based laser with 1-hertz integrated linewidth

Abstract

Lasers with hertz linewidths at time scales of seconds are critical for metrology, timekeeping, and manipulation of quantum systems. Such frequency stability relies on bulk-optic lasers and reference cavities, where increased size is leveraged to reduce noise but with the trade-off of cost, hand assembly, and limited applications. Alternatively, planar waveguide-based lasers enjoy complementary metal-oxide semiconductor scalability yet are fundamentally limited from achieving hertz linewidths by stochastic noise and thermal sensitivity. In this work, we demonstrate a laser system with a 1-s linewidth of 1.1 Hz and fractional frequency instability below 10-14 to 1 s. This low-noise performance leverages integrated lasers together with an 8-ml vacuum-gap cavity using microfabricated mirrors. All critical components are lithographically defined on planar substrates, holding potential for high-volume manufacturing. Consequently, this work provides an important advance toward compact lasers with hertz linewidths for portable optical clocks, radio frequency photonic oscillators, and related communication and navigation systems.