US Army develops quantum sensor capable of wide-spectrum signal detection

Army scientists created a quantum receiver in 2018 that uses highly excited Rydberg atoms to detect communication signals. This technology allows for the detection of signals across the entire radio frequency spectrum, from 0 to 100 GHz, using a single antenna. David Meyer, a scientist at the Army Research Laboratory, noted that these new sensors could be small and virtually undetectable.

The achievement improves on previous results by orders of magnitude and allows for a quantitative description of sensor sensitivity over a vast range of frequencies. This breakthrough validates the Army's research and development priorities for modernization.