Quantum sensor system for sensing electromagnetic radiation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12504456-B2
Application number	US-202318328126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2023
Priority date	Jun 2, 2023
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure relates a quantum sensor system for sensing electromagnetic, EM, radiation. The quantum sensor comprises an element configured to shape and/or focus the EM radiation to generate an inhomogeneous field distribution in an area; at least two quantum sensors which are arranged at different locations in the area, each of the quantum sensors comprising a sensing volume which is configured to interact with the EM radiation; at least one detector configured to detect an interaction of the EM radiation with each sensing volume, wherein the interaction is indicative of a power level of the EM radiation at the location of the respective sensing volume; and a processor which is configured to determine a signal characteristic of the EM radiation based on a correlation of the power levels at the locations of the sensing volumes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A quantum sensor system for sensing electromagnetic, EM, radiation, comprising:
an element configured to shape and/or focus the EM radiation to generate an inhomogeneous field distribution in an area; at least two quantum sensors which are arranged at different locations in the area, each of the quantum sensors comprising a sensing volume which is configured to interact with the EM radiation; at least one detector configured to detect an interaction of the EM radiation with each sensing volume, wherein the interaction is indicative of a power level of the EM radiation at the location of the respective sensing volume; and a processor which is configured to determine a signal characteristic of the EM radiation based on a correlation of the power levels at the locations of the sensing volumes.

2 . The quantum sensor system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a signal source which is configured to generate the EM radiation based on a physical quantity to be analyzed.

3 . The quantum sensor system of The quantum sensor system of wherein the at least two quantum sensors are arranged at locations in the area with different power levels, in particular different amplitudes, of the EM radiation, such that at least one of the quantum sensors can detect a power level of the EM radiation if the other quantum sensor is in saturation.

4 . The quantum sensor system of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensing volumes of the at least two quantum sensors each comprise a number of atoms in a ground state or an excited quantum state.

5 . The quantum sensor system of claim 4 ,
wherein at least one quantum sensor comprises a gas cell, wherein the number of atoms is stored in the gas cell in gaseous form.

6 . The quantum sensor system of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one light source configured to irradiate the sensing volumes of the at least two quantum sensors with a light beam, wherein the sensing volumes are optically excited by the light beam; and/or at least one field generator unit configured to generate an electric and/or magnetic field within the sensing volumes of the at least two quantum sensors, wherein a resonance frequency of the number atoms in the sensing volumes is modified by an amplitude of the electric and/or magnetic field.

7 . The quantum sensor system of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensing volumes of the at least two quantum sensors are arranged separate from each other.

8 . The quantum sensor system of claim 1 ,
wherein the sensing volumes of the at least two quantum sensors are arranged directly adjacent to each other and/or at least partially overlapping along a gradient of the inhomogeneous filed distribution of the EM radiation.

9 . The quantum sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the element comprises an antenna, such as a parabolic antenna.

10 . The quantum sensor of claim 1 ,
wherein the element comprises an absorber which is configured to absorb at least a part of the EM radiation.

11 . A method for sensing electromagnetic, EM, radiation, comprising the steps of:
shaping and/or focusing the EM radiation to generate an inhomogeneous field distribution in an area; receiving the EM radiation with at least two quantum sensors which are arranged at different locations in the area, each of the quantum sensors comprising a sensing volume which is configured to interact with the EM radiation; detecting an interaction of the EM radiation with each sensing volume, wherein the respective interaction is indicative of a power level of the EM radiation at the location of the sensing volume; and determining a signal characteristic of the EM radiation based on a correlation of the power levels at the locations of the sensing volumes.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
generating the EM radiation based on a physical quantity to be analyzed.

13 . The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the least two quantum sensors are arranged at locations in the area with different power levels, in particular different amplitudes, of the EM radiation, such that at least one of the quantum sensors can detect a power level of the EM radiation if the other quantum sensor is in saturation.

14 . The method of claim 11 ,
wherein the sensing volumes comprise a number of atoms which are optically, magnetically and/or electrically exited to an excited quantum state.

15 . A quantum sensor system for sensing electromagnetic, EM, radiation, comprising:
a quantum sensor which is arranged to receive the EM radiation, wherein the quantum sensor comprises a sensing volume which is configured to interact with the EM radiation in at least two distinguishable ways based on at least two different species of atoms and/or at least two different atomic transitions; at least one detector configured to detect interactions of the EM radiation with the sensing volume in each of the at least two distinguishable ways; and a processor which is configured to determine a signal characteristic of the EM radiation based on a correlation of the detected interactions.

16 . The quantum sensor system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a signal source which is configured to generate the EM radiation based on a physical quantity to be analyzed.

17 . The quantum sensor system of claim 15 ,
wherein the interactions of the EM radiation with the sensing volume comprise at least two different types of atomic transitions in the sensing volume in response to the EM radiation.

18 . The quantum sensor system of claim 15 ,
wherein the at least two different species of atoms interact with the EM radiation in the at least two distinguishable ways.

19 . The quantum sensor system of claim 15 ,
wherein the quantum sensor system comprises a gas cell, wherein the at least two different species of atoms are stored in the gas cell in gaseous form.

Assignees

• Rohde & Schwarz
• Univ Of Basel

Inventors

• Ruster Thomas
• Treutlein Philipp
• Shi Yongqi
• Ho Melvyn

Classifications

• G01R29/0885

  using optical probes, e.g. electro-optical, luminescent, glow discharge, or optical interferometers · CPC title

• G01R29/0878 Primary

  Sensors; antennas; probes; detectors (wave guide measuring sections G01R1/24) · CPC title