QUARTZ: QUAntum TeraheRTZ Detector using Rydberg Atoms

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The project will develop a novel terahertz (THz) detector which will be compact, inexpensive, room-temperature, and have high sensitivity. It will exploit recent breakthroughs in manipulating and interrogating atoms in Rydberg quantum states. The engineering challenge is to miniaturise and rapidly transition the technology from laboratory to product. To this aim, a prototype will be built and characterised to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the approach. Rydberg atoms have one or more electrons in hydrogen-like quantum states, and are characterised by strong response to electromagnetic fields, in particular to fields at THz frequencies (0.1-10 THz or 3000-30 µm), in effect acting as THz optical transducers. High-sensitivity THz detectors are typically bulky and require cryogenic cooling, making them unsuitable for many applications and severely limiting the uptake of THz technologies, especially in industrial settings. The Rydberg THz detector will address this problem, offering a transformative technology for THz sensing and imaging and providing a platform for industrial applications such as non-destructive testing and quality control, and security applications for the detection of chemical and biological agents.