NIST builds any-wavelength laser chip

This breakthrough democratizes precision optics by moving high-end laser systems from lab benches to mass-producible silicon wafers. The ability to fit 10,000 unique circuits on a single wafer suggests a path toward mass-manufactured quantum sensors. By using tantala and lithium niobate, NIST bypassed the "laser color gap" that previously required disparate materials for different wavelengths, potentially boosting photonic AI computing.