Optical frequency combs are an equidistant grid of equally spaced optical frequency components. The discovery of which was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in physics. More simply they can be thought of as a rainbow of laser light that is made of distinct colors. The colors are extremely accurate and can serve as a ruler for light. This technology has enabled some of the most advanced scientific measurements to date. They are the back bone of the next generation atomic clocks and can be used in many applications ranging from advanced timing and navigation to spectroscopy.

Optical Microresonator based frequency combs were first discovered in 2007 and since then the field and applications have grown immensely. They stand out from other frequency comb technologies for their large comb line spacing and applications from the near to the mid infrared.

The crystalline microresonator from MicroR can form the core component in such systems.