I do not – yet – understand exactly what this is and how it works – but the description suggests this could be a very big deal: Physicists create new antenna | University of Otago
Such sensors, that are enabled by atoms in a so-called Rydberg state, can provide superior performance over current antenna technologies as they are highly sensitive, have broad tunability, and small physical size, making them attractive for use in defence and communications.
For example, they could simplify communications for soldiers on the battlefield as they cover the full spectrum of radio frequencies, rather than needing multiple antennas to cover different frequency bands, and are super sensitive and accurate to detect a wide range of critical signals. The ability to eliminate the need for multiple sensors also makes them useful in satellite technology.
Here’s the paper: Distant RF field sensing with a passive Rydberg-atomic transducer | Applied Physics Letters | AIP Publishing
I still need to read through this but do not have time today to do that.
