Future electronics may depend on lasers, not quartz

(Phys.org) --Nearly all electronics require devices called oscillators that create precise frequencies--frequencies used to keep time in wristwatches or to transmit reliable signals to radios. For nearly 100 years, these oscillators have relied upon quartz crystals to provide a frequency reference, much like a tuning fork is used as a reference to tune a piano. However, future high-end navigation systems, radar systems, and even possibly tomorrow's consumer electronics will require references be...