Optics
Integrated yoctosecond-precision timing detector
Precise timing detection is essential for exploring ultrafast phenomena in fields ranging from free-electron lasers to ultra-high-power laser facilities. However, achieving simultaneous high resolution and large dynamic range remains a fundamental challenge, and state of the art systems are often constrained by their physical size, power requirements, and limited scalability. Here we introduce an integrated dual electro optic sub cycle timing detector (DEST) that overcomes these limitations. In a proof of principle measurement, the device resolves timing jitter as small as 11 yoctoseconds (ys, $10^{-24}$ s) at 1 MHz–equivalent to the transit time of light across two protons–while maintaining an unambiguous measurement range of 6.15 ps and a dynamic range exceeding 155 dB. The core detection unit is miniaturized to chip scale dimensions of 18 mm x 2 mm x 1 mm on a thin film lithium niobate platform, ensuring inherent stability and immunity to environmental disturbances. Moreover, the architecture naturally lends itself to massive parallelization through array integration, with the potential to push timing precision to the sub 10 rontosecond (rs, $10^{-27}$ s) level within a 1 $m^2$ footprint. This combination of extreme sensitivity, wide dynamic range, compact size, and scalability opens new avenues for detecting previously inaccessible weak signals, including those from gravitational waves, quantum vacuum fluctuations, and beyond.