Ann Arbor-based Rydberg Technologies Inc. has demonstrated what it calls the world’s first long-range radio communications with an atomic quantum sensor.
The milestone was achieved at the recent U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) C5ISR Center Network Modernization Experiment 2023 (NetModX23) event.
Rydberg Technologies is a global specialist in Rydberg quantum technologies and a developer of radio frequency (RF) quantum sensing. The Army’s DEVCOM event is considered a proving ground for next-generation technologies for communications and intelligence.
Rydberg atoms are described as an excited atom with one or more electrons that have a very high principal quantum number. Rydberg atoms have a number of peculiar properties, including an exaggerated response to electric and magnetic fields, long decay periods, and electron wavefunctions that approximate classical orbits of electrons about the nuclei.
Rydberg’s atomic receiver device exhibited sensitivity across the high-frequency (HF) to super high-frequency (SHF) bands and demonstrated over-the-air atomic RF communication at long range.
The demonstration occurred in a real-world environment, with the atomic receiver setting records in size, performance, and environmental resilience for Rydberg atom quantum sensors.
The company’s sensing technology also showed signal selectivity, low detection probability, and immunity to unwanted interference in contested electromagnetic environments.
“The introduction of our atomic receiver prototype and its successful deployment under real-world conditions represents an important step forward in the quantum technology landscape,” says David A. Anderson, CEO of Rydberg Technologies. “We have demonstrated the smallest ever atomic receiver at frequencies and long-range communication distances that show a clear path for transitioning Rydberg atom quantum technologies from laboratory to real-world applications.”
When compared to traditional antennas, Rydberg atomic receivers offer a unique set of characteristics, including high sensitivity, selectivity, and wideband coverage using a single atomic detector element. Rydberg atom devices have the potential to revolutionize RF surveillance, safety, communications, and networking capabilities from long-wavelength RF to millimeter-wave and THz bands.
The Rydberg Atomic Receiver was developed with support from the National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC) funding initiative, a part of the Defense Innovation Unit.
