September 29, 2026 -- Army and university researchers have pioneered an optical research breakthrough that could lead to more secure military communications and lightweight, rugged navigation gear for Soldiers in the field.

The research team, representing the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory and the University of Maryland, invented a pioneering method to guide light through hair-thin glass fibers with unprecedented precision by successfully sculpting microscopic bumps onto the surface of standard glass fibers using ultra-precise lasers.

By chaining 21 of these tiny bumps, known as microresonators, together, the team built what they call a specialized, one-way optical highway towards steering light waves around obstacles and preventing them from degrading or scattering.

The breakthrough, published in the journal Nature Communications, marks the first time scientists have successfully demonstrated this method of protective light-routing, known as topological photonics, on a fiber-optic system of this kind.

“Ultimately, this fundamental breakthrough could lead to military networks with faster and more resilient communications, enable future quantum navigation sensors that do not rely on GPS, and is a foundation for simulating advanced materials that are practically impossible to model with traditional methods,” said Dr. Dashiell Vitullo, a research physicist at DEVCOM ARL.

Modern high-speed communications rely on fiber-optic cables to transmit data using light. However, according to the researchers, light waves are highly sensitive to microscopic flaws in the glass, twists in the cable, or environmental disturbances, which can distort signals and leak valuable data.

To help solve this, the researchers turned to topology, a branch of mathematics focused on shapes and structures that maintain their core properties even when stretched, twisted or crumpled.

By carving different patterns of microscopic bumps onto a single glass fiber, the researchers created a hybrid boundary. On one side of the boundary, the light-guiding structures are arranged in one pattern; on the other, they follow another.

Understanding how light behaves when crossing this microscopic border required the team to write an entirely new mathematical blueprint. This formula allows scientists to predict whether light will freeze at the boundary or flow smoothly across it, giving them total control over the signal.

“Discovering fundamental physics breakthroughs that give Soldiers a decisive tactical advantage is our primary mission,” Vitullo said. “For the military, the practical implications of this research are vast, particularly for operations in harsh or heavily contested combat zones.”

Traditional advanced microchips used for routing light are fragile and expensive to manufacture, the researchers noted. Once made, they cannot easily be altered without using power-hungry components that constantly drain energy.

In contrast, the new fiber-optic devices are highly adaptable. If changes are needed after they are made, scientists can simply hit the fiber with targeted laser heat to reshape the microscopic bumps. Once trimmed to the right specification, their configuration is stable and no further energy is required to maintain it.

Avik Dutt, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland who has worked with photonic microchips for 15 years, recently started exploring these microscopic bumps on fibers with Vitullo. He said that these unique capabilities of micro bumps, such as adaptable trimming and measuring with minute precision in space, are quite beneficial aspects compared to microchips.

These glass fibers also suffer almost zero signal loss. They can handle complex light signals without requiring the heavy cooling systems or bulky vacuum chambers common in other advanced quantum hardware.

“This dramatic reduction in size, weight and power requirements—known in military terms as SWaP—could pave the way for powerful, lightweight tactical gear that Soldiers can easily carry or mount onto military vehicles,” Vitullo said.

With the fundamental physics successfully proven, researchers are already looking toward the future.

The next step is to explore nonlinear optical behaviors, essentially using the unique properties of light to create synthetic dimensions. This would allow researchers to manipulate multiple aspects of light simultaneously, vastly increasing the amount of information these fiber systems can carry.

This research was conducted under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, or CRADA, between the Army and the University of Maryland.

This achievement reflects ARL’s decades-long leadership in quantum research. Since the early 1990s, ARL has invested in quantum science, laying the groundwork for today’s breakthroughs in sensing, timing and computing. In 2023, the laboratory was designated as one of four Army Quantum Information Science Research Centers.