2023-10-20 18:45:43
Physicists have used a small glass bulb containing an atomic vapor to demonstrate a new type of antenna for radio waves. The bulb was “wired” with laser beams and could therefore be placed far from any receiving electrical system.
The unique antenna is the work of a team led by Susi Otto, from the Dodd-Walls Center for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, and the University of Otago, both entities in New Zealand.
Antennas of the new type are enabled by atoms in the so-called Rydberg state and can achieve higher efficiency than conventional antennas, since they are very sensitive and can receive a wide range of wavelengths. Furthermore, its size is tiny.
For all these reasons, antennas of this new type will be very attractive for use in certain situations. For example, they could simplify soldiers’ communications on the battlefield by covering the entire radio frequency spectrum, without the need to carry multiple antennas to cover different frequency bands.
Additionally, they are sensitive and accurate enough to detect a wide range of critical signals that in some cases conventional antennas could not adequately detect.
The main antenna component, in close-up, during a test. (Photo: University of Otago)
Not needing multiple sensors also makes these antennas very attractive for satellite technology.
Importantly, compared to traditional sensors, Rydberg sensors can operate without metal parts and the atomic sensor is accessed by laser light, making electrical cables unnecessary.
Otto and his colleagues present the technical details of the new antenna in the academic journal Applied Physics Letters, under the title “Distant RF field sensing with a passive Rydberg-atomic transducer.” (Source: NCYT from Amazings)
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