Summary
The “Science of Atomic Vapors for New Technologies” (SAVaNT) program aims to significantly advance the performance of atomic vapors as a room-temperature (RT) platform for enabling new technologies in the areas of electric field sensing and imaging, magnetic field sensing, and quantum information science (QIS).
SAVaNT has three Technical Areas based on the application domains where atomic vapors are expected to have the biggest impact:
- Rydberg Electrometry
- Vector Magnetometry
- Vapor Quantum Electrodynamics (vQED)
The common scientific challenge is to demonstrate the requisite quantum control techniques to maintain atomic coherence at room temperature. Program goals include improving sensitivity of Rydberg electrometry, developing vector modality for atomic magnetometry with high sensitivity and accuracy, and demonstrating cavity quantum electrodynamics with atomic vapors.
If successful, SAVaNT advances will lay the foundations for new technologies that address important DoD needs, including applications that require low size, weight, and power (SWaP); high-sensitivity electric and magnetic field measurements; and applications that require scalable room-temperature quantum memories and interfaces.
EQSTRA Expansion: Early successes in the SAVaNT program included demonstrations of improved coherence, sensitivity, and performance of Rydberg-based electrometers using multiphoton techniques. Building upon these results, DARPA issued a solicitation for the Enhancing Quantum Sensor Technologies with Rydberg Atoms (EQSTRA) effort.
This companion effort aims to develop the enabling technologies to advance the technological maturity, capabilities, and application landscape of Rydberg-vapor sensors for quantum-enhanced electrometry, imaging, and communications. Potential applications for such sensors include wideband electric field sensing, imaging, spectrum awareness, and communications.
Ongoing efforts within this program include developing compact, integrated laser systems for Rydberg atom-based radio frequency (RF) sensors, wafer-scale production of compact vapor cells for RF sensing and imaging, and developing quantum communications systems that extend into the millimeter-wave domain.