SYDNEY, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in Australia have developed ultra-pure lasers that reduce laser beams' linewidth by over 10,000 times, a leap that could transform quantum computing and gravitational wave detection.
The diamond-based Raman technique uses a crystal to filter out timing noise in laser light and produce ultra-pure beams, which enables more precise quantum computing, better timekeeping in atomic clocks, and more sensitive scientific measurements, scientists from Australia's Macquarie University said on Tuesday.
This method far surpasses traditional Brillouin lasers, which rely on lower-frequency sound waves, by narrowing laser linewidths much more dramatically, according to the study's lead author, Macquarie University Professor Richard Mildren.
The technique removes random phase noise from laser light by channeling it into the diamond's vibrations, which quickly absorb the irregularities, leaving the laser beam with highly stable, pure light, said the study detailed in APL Photonics published by the American Institute of Physics.
Beyond its technical success, the breakthrough could impact key fields -- in quantum computing, it allows more precise qubit control; in atomic clocks, it improves accuracy for positioning system and physics research; and in gravitational wave detection, it enhances sensitivity to weaker signals, it said.
"Our next steps will involve adapting advanced cavity design and active stabilization systems so we can address the vibrations and drifts that broaden the linewidth over time," Mildren said. ■
