Quantum Rydberg Antenna Systems

Objetivo

Rydberg atoms have emerged as a key platform for quantum technologies. The defining property shared by Rydberg states across many atomic species and platforms is the extremely large dipole moment associated with transitions between two Rydberg states. These transitions enable the exchange of quanta, forming the basis for the design of quantum gates. At the same time, they can be leveraged to detect external radiation with high sensitivity over a broad frequency range, from hundreds of MHz to several THz.

Atomic sensors of electromagnetic waves based on Rydberg atoms are a new platform for quantum sensing, with potential applications ranging from ultrasensitive measurements for dark matter detection and fundamental radiometry to applications in space research, industry, passive radar, and modern 5G communication systems and beyond. For many of these promising applications, however, the performance of currently available Rydberg sensors operated in their most trivial configurations has proven insufficient.

In this project, we will explore novel operational regimes of Rydberg atomic sensors. Our primary goal is to understand the fundamental limitations of these systems and to leverage this knowledge to design-specific sensing protocols optimised for engineering applications. We aim to identify which protocols and architectures are best suited for highly sensitive radiometric temperature measurements and for the reception of quadrature-modulated signals. We plan to exploit both hot-vapour and cold-atom systems, facilitating correspondence between practical room-temperature devices and cold-atom platforms that allow for fundamental control. This exploratory research will enable us to identify operational schemes that render Rydberg-atomic systems disruptive not only in physics research but also in microwave and millimetre-wave technology, addressing the fundamental technological challenge of achieving the ultimate limits in electromagnetic measurements.

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