For decades, engineers have struggled to miniaturize high-performance laser systems. Generating multiple colors of laser light—essential for advanced sensing, LiDAR, and optical communication—typically requires bulky, power-hungry hardware that doesn’t scale well for compact or integrated systems.
Researchers at Columbia Engineering have now changed that. They’ve developed a chip that can produce powerful, precise beams of multiple colors from a single integrated source. The achievement could transform how data is transmitted, processed, and sensed across industries ranging from telecommunications to autonomous vehicles.
The team, led by Michal Lipson, discovered that under specific conditions, a single laser diode on a silicon photonic chip can form what’s known as a frequency comb—a series of evenly spaced laser lines that each act as an independent color channel. Instead of needing separate lasers, amplifiers, and optics for each wavelength, the new device integrates the entire process on one chip.
This approach dramatically simplifies optical system design. Each wavelength generated by the chip can carry unique streams of information through the same optical fiber, a method known as wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). In data centers and AI clusters, where fast, high-volume communication between servers is crucial, this could multiply bandwidth without expanding infrastructure.
Beyond computing, the same technology could enhance LiDAR systems, optical clocks, portable spectrometers, and quantum sensors—applications that depend on stable, narrow-linewidth lasers operating across several frequencies.
While the work is still at the prototype stage, the researchers believe the design demonstrates that compact, efficient, multi-wavelength lasers can be built using standard semiconductor fabrication techniques. The next challenge lies in refining stability, scaling production, and adapting the system for real-world environments.
The result marks a major step toward scalable photonics, where powerful, tunable laser sources can fit directly on a chip instead of filling a lab bench.
Original Story: Powerful and Precise Multi-color Lasers Now Fit on a Single Chip | Columbia Engineering
