Scientists have developed a chip that creates earthquake-like vibrations, promising smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient wireless devices for the next generation of gadgets.
As mobile devices and wireless systems continue to demand faster, more energy-efficient performance, traditional signal processing components are reaching their limits. Current architectures rely on multiple chips to convert radio signals into surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and back, increasing power consumption and limiting miniaturization. A more compact and efficient approach is needed to support next-generation smartphones, wearables, and IoT devices.
Researchers at the University of Arizona and the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a surface acoustic wave phonon laser, a single-chip device that generates highly controlled vibrations, or phonons, on the chip surface. The technology is designed to perform signal processing functions previously spread across multiple components, enabling smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient wireless devices.
The device is built from stacked ultrathin layers, including a silicon base, a lithium niobate piezoelectric layer, and an indium gallium arsenide semiconductor layer. Vibrations generated in the lithium niobate are amplified as they interact with electrons in the indium gallium arsenide, producing coherent phonons at frequencies around 1 GHz, with the potential to scale into the tens or hundreds of GHz. This approach mimics the amplification seen in optical lasers but uses mechanical vibrations to process signals, allowing high-frequency SAW generation without an external radio-frequency source.
Key features of the research include:
- Single-chip design for surface acoustic wave generation and signal processing
- Coherent phonon output at ~1 GHz, scalable to much higher frequencies
- Ultrafast vibrations enabling faster wireless communication
- Compact stacked-layer architecture using silicon, lithium niobate, and indium gallium arsenide
- Potential to reduce power consumption compared to traditional multi-chip SAW systems
- Supports integration into smartphones, IoT devices, and wireless communication hardware
Alexander Wendt, lead study author of the research, says, “This phonon laser was the last domino standing that we needed to knock down. Now we can literally make every component that you need for a radio on one chip using the same kind of technology.”
