Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Electromagnetic Spectrum02:37

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

63.9K
The electromagnetic spectrum consists of all the types of electromagnetic radiation arranged according to their frequency and wavelength. Each of the various colors of visible light has specific frequencies and wavelengths associated with them, and you can see that visible light makes up only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because the technologies developed to work in various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are different, for reasons of convenience and historical...
63.9K
The Electromagnetic Spectrum01:24

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

32.7K
Electromagnetic waves are categorized according to their wavelengths and frequencies, giving the electromagnetic spectrum. These waves are classified as radio, infrared, ultraviolet, etc. Radio waves refer to electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from millimeters to kilometers. Radio waves are commonly used for audio communications (i.e., radios) and typically result from an alternating current in the wires of a broadcast antenna. They cover a broad wavelength range and are used...
32.7K
Electromagnetic Waves01:30

Electromagnetic Waves

10.5K
James Clerk Maxwell formulated a single theory combining all the electric and magnetic effects scientists knew during that time, calling the phenomena his theory predicted “Electromagnetic waves”. He brought together all the work that had been done by brilliant physicists such as Oersted, Coulomb, Gauss, and Faraday and added his own insights to develop the overarching theory of electromagnetism. Maxwell’s equations, combined with the Lorentz force law, encompass all the laws...
10.5K
Intensity Of Electromagnetic Waves01:22

Intensity Of Electromagnetic Waves

5.5K
The energy transport per unit area per unit time, or the Poynting vector, gives the energy flux of an electromagnetic wave at any specific time. For a plane electromagnetic wave with E0 and B0 as the peak electric and magnetic fields and traveling along the x-axis, the time-varying energy flux can be given by the following equation:
5.5K
IR Absorption Frequency: Hybridization01:21

IR Absorption Frequency: Hybridization

1.2K
Hydrocarbons such as alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes show characteristic C–H stretching absorption bands. These IR stretching frequencies depend on the hybridization of the involved carbon atom and can be explained in terms of the s character of each hybridized atomic orbital.
Among the sp, sp2, and sp3 hybridized orbitals, sp orbitals have the maximum s character (50%). Consequently, the electrons are held more closely to the nucleus, resulting in stronger and shorter C–H bonds that...
1.2K
Electromagnetic Waves in Matter01:30

Electromagnetic Waves in Matter

3.7K
Electromagnetic waves can travel in the vacuum as well as in matter. For example light, which is an electromagnetic wave, can travel through air, water, or glass.
Consider the electromagnetic wave passing through a dielectric medium. In such a case, Maxwell's equations get modified. In Ampere's law, ε0 , the dielectric permittivity of free space is replaced with ε, the permittivity of dielectric. Also, the vacuum permeability μ0 is replaced by the permeability of the medium, μ.
Furthermore,...
3.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ultrahigh-Q integrated flame-hydrolysis-deposited germano-silicate resonators on silicon.

Light, science & applications·2026
Same author

Multicolor interband solitons in microcombs.

Light, science & applications·2026
Same author

Sub-part-per-trillion test of the Standard Model with atomic hydrogen.

Nature·2026
Same author

Towards fibre-like loss for photonic integration from violet to near-infrared.

Nature·2026
Same author

Frequency-comb-calibrated Laser Heterodyne Radiometry for Precision Radial Velocity Measurements.

The Astrophysical journal. Supplement series·2025
Same author

Mid-infrared hyperspectral microscopy with broadband 1-GHz dual frequency combs.

APL photonics·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs
06:42

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Published on: June 8, 2018

9.5K

Optical frequency combs: Coherently uniting the electromagnetic spectrum.

Scott A Diddams1,2, Kerry Vahala3, Thomas Udem4

  • 1Time and Frequency Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO, USA. scott.diddams@nist.gov vahala@caltech.edu thu@mpq.mpg.de.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 18, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Optical frequency combs are advanced lasers that precisely measure light frequencies. This review covers their history, functionality, and diverse applications in science and technology.

More Related Videos

Quasi-light Storage for Optical Data Packets
07:45

Quasi-light Storage for Optical Data Packets

Published on: February 6, 2014

11.2K
Microwave Photonics Systems Based on Whispering-gallery-mode Resonators
12:18

Microwave Photonics Systems Based on Whispering-gallery-mode Resonators

Published on: August 5, 2013

17.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs
06:42

Generation and Coherent Control of Pulsed Quantum Frequency Combs

Published on: June 8, 2018

9.5K
Quasi-light Storage for Optical Data Packets
07:45

Quasi-light Storage for Optical Data Packets

Published on: February 6, 2014

11.2K
Microwave Photonics Systems Based on Whispering-gallery-mode Resonators
12:18

Microwave Photonics Systems Based on Whispering-gallery-mode Resonators

Published on: August 5, 2013

17.4K

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Optics
  • Metrology

Background:

  • Optical frequency combs emerged ~20 years ago.
  • They act as a "clockwork" for light, synthesizing and counting optical frequencies.
  • They enable phase-coherent upconversion and downconversion of radio to optical frequencies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the historical development of optical frequency combs.
  • To describe advances in their functionality and physical implementation.
  • To highlight their broad range of applications.

Main Methods:

  • Review of historical scientific literature.
  • Description of the principles of optical frequency comb operation.
  • Synthesis of information on technological advancements and applications.

Main Results:

  • Optical frequency combs provide a vast, evenly spaced array of optical frequencies.
  • They can translate phase across hundreds of terahertz bandwidth.
  • The technology has matured significantly over the past two decades.

Conclusions:

  • Optical frequency combs are powerful tools for coherently uniting the electromagnetic spectrum.
  • Continued advances promise further innovation in functionality and application.
  • Their impact spans fundamental science to practical technologies.