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New Chip-Based Frequency Combs Demonstrate Potential for Portable Atomic Clocks

A measuring tape is the tool of choice for a carpenter who wants to measure the length of a wood beam, but what is the equivalent for an optical physicist who wants to measure the frequency of a light beam? Optical physicists generally rely on bulky equipment to measure light frequencies precisely, but a new experiment from JQI researchers and their colleagues demonstrated a miniature tool that provides a promising route to shrinking a variety of technologies used for precision measurements.

Read the Story "New Chip-Based Frequency Combs Demonstrate Potential for Portable Atomic Clocks"

We conduct curiosity-driven research that explores the most basic building blocks of nature with an eye toward potential applications in information science and technology.  

News

  • New JQI Fellow Harnesses Light for Emerging Quantum Tech

    October 13, 2026

  • Quantum Device Simulates Matter Popping into Existence

    September 24, 2026

  • JQI Fellow Joins National Effort to Develop Diagnostic Tools for the World’s Most Powerful Lasers

    August 20, 2026
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Events

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Our Research

  • Many-Body Physics

    Some of the most intriguing physics happens when individual particles team up, giving rise to emergent collective properties.

    Learn More about Many-Body Physics

  • Quantum Information and Computing

    JQI physicists are investigating promising quantum computing architectures as well as developing methods to control quantum effects that can be exploited to process information in new ways.

    Learn More about Quantum Information and Computing

  • Quantum Measurement and Control

    Creating quantum states on demand and controlling them is a critical component to developing practical quantum-based devices.

    Learn More about Quantum Measurement and Control

Latest Publications

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We get fresh ideas from angles we would have never thought of, through interactions with my colleagues in the department, by having students from physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, sometimes computer science. These perspectives that we get—and the things that I get to learn at a faster rate than being in one area—have been very rewarding.

Avik Dutt
Assistant Professor

Outreach & Education

JQI Fellows, postdocs, and students actively engage our community and the broader public in science.

About Our Programs & Activites
PFC-supported parametric downconversion USASEF demo. Credit: C. Cesare/JQI

Want to Become a Part of Our Team?

The Joint Quantum Institute offers research opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. JQI is located on campus at the University of Maryland, College Park, but researchers may work at NIST or the UMD campus. 

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