New Single Atomic Rydberg Sensor Can Detect Broad Band of Radar Signals All at Once

A new sensor has been created. It is so powerful that it can detect multiple radar signals simultaneously, and it only uses a single atom.

New Single Atomic Rydberg Sensor

The creation of a novel type of sensor has the potential to revolutionize remote Earth sensing. A Rydberg sensor is a novel technology that employs quantum theory to detect a wide range of radar waves simultaneously. Darmindra Arumugam of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, an expert in remote sensing with years of experience with the technique, will oversee the development.

Rydeberg sensor that is highly adept at identifying a specific light frequency is launched onto a satellite in a typical remote sensing application. In radar parlance, these are divided into multiple "bands," each spanning several megahertz to several gigahertz. Specific frequencies are more widely known than others, including UHF (ultra-high frequency-300-1,000 MHz), whereas other frequencies, like the Ku band from 12-18 GHz, are more obscure.

Each band excels at monitoring a specific Earthly system. NASA, for instance, studies Earth's tomography using the VHF (30-300 MHz) range and snow and rainfall using the UHF frequency.

Any system that attempted to have detection capabilities over a wide range of frequencies and, therefore, monitor a wide range of different systems would become increasingly expensive as additional bands were added to the system. This is because each of these frequencies would require its own specially designed antenna to detect it.

Rydberg sensors can help with it. They are a new kind of sensor that can detect a wide range of electromagnetic waves by utilizing the quantum state of a single atom. For instance, a single Rydberg sensor might pick up transmissions from the HF band up to the Ka-band at the faster end of the radar spectrum.

This would make it possible for a satellite equipped with a single sensor to monitor every system that radar can remotely identify. To explain how a Rydberg sensor works, one must have a thorough understanding of quantum mechanics. The Rydberg state, a quantum state incredibly sensitive to its surroundings, is the source of the term for Rydberg sensors.

To reach the Rydberg state, scientists must use a laser to rapidly expand a single Rubidium or Cesium atom to a size nearly identical to a microbe. They then use optical monitoring to track atomic changes, which are influenced by signals in the radar bands stated earlier.

About Rydberg Atoms

Rydberg atoms were known to scientists as early as 1885. The Swedish physicist Johannes Rydberg, whose significant early research contributed to the atoms' description, is honored by the namesake of the atoms. However, with the advent of tunable dye lasers in the 1970s, the first investigation into their application in sensors began. Once scientists could employ lasers like tweezers to hold and manipulate atoms, laser trapping and cooling opened the door to serious scientific investigation. This marked a paradigm shift in our knowledge of Rydberg atoms. This discovery was so significant that it earned the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Rydberg Technologies is a firm that develops and markets gadgets based on the Rydberg technology. In the future, Rydberg sensors have the potential to transform communications completely.

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