Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues have demonstrated a new way to generate a miniature tape measure for light. Unlike previous designs, it can make high-quality optical measurements without needing to be tethered to bulky laboratory equipment. The new device could help revolutionize ultraprecise mobile timekeeping, and in turn, provide vital navigation signals for drones, cars, submarines and other vehicles when GPS is either unavailable or has been jammed.
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