Quantum Valley Ideas Laboratories

Blackberry Corporation

Waveryde Instruments Inc.

Chang Liu

James P Shaffer

Jennifer Ann Joe Erskine

Stephanie M Bohaichuk

James Keaveney

Geoffrey Gordon Gillett

Vijin Venu

Florian Christaller

Neil Patrick Adams

Hadi Amarloo

Kent Arnold Nickerson

Jaime Ramirez-Serrano

Reza Majidi-Ahy

Harald Kubler

Mojtaba Hajialamdari

Matthias Schmidt

Pinrui Shen

Jennifer Ann Erskine

In a general aspect, a radar method includes transmitting an outgoing series of RF pulses toward a target region. The radar method also includes receiving an incoming series of RF pulses that is based on the outgoing series of RF pulses after passing through the target region. The radar method additionally includes producing, by operation of a vapor cell system, output signals that are based on incoming series of RF pulses and the laser signals interacting with a vapor of the vapor cell system. The radar method also includes operations of a signal processing system, such as generating response data, determining a Doppler shift, and determining a velocity of an object in the target region. The response data includes transient response data that represents transient responses of a vapor in the vapor cell system to respective phase changes in the incoming series of RF pulses.

Methods for sensing doppler shifts

In a general aspect, a quantum spectrum sensing system is presented. In some implementations, a quantum spectrum sensing system includes a laser system, a vapor cell sensor, and an optical detector. The laser system includes first and second lasers configured to generate a first and second laser signals. The laser system also includes first and second comb generators configured to produce first and second frequency comb signals based on the first and second laser signals, respectively. The laser system includes a frequency separator that can select frequency components of the second frequency comb signal and a frequency shifter that can shift the selected frequency components toward Rydberg states of a vapor. The vapor cell sensor can receive input optical signals from the laser system and produce output optical signals based on interactions of the vapor with the input optical signals. The optical detector can detect the output optical signals.

Quantum spectrum sensing systems

In a general aspect, a radiometer is disclosed that includes a vapor cell sensor. The vapor cell sensor contains a vapor and is configured to generate an optical signal in response to laser signals and thermal radiation interacting with the vapor. The vapor includes a Rydberg electronic transition that is configured to interact with the thermal radiation. The radiometer also includes a computing system having one or more processors and a memory. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to perform operations that include generating, based on the optical signal, transmission data that represents the transmission of the one laser signal through the vapor. The operations also include determining, based on the transmission data, a temperature of a target body that generates the thermal radiation.

Measuring thermal radiation using vapor cell sensors

In a general aspect, a laser system includes a laser and a frequency comb generator system. The laser is configured to generate a laser signal, and the frequency comb generator system is configured to generate a frequency comb based on the laser signal. The frequency comb includes frequency comb signals at respective comb frequencies. The laser system also includes a frequency comb dispersion system configured to spatially separate the frequency comb signals onto respective optical channels of the frequency comb dispersion system. The laser system additionally includes a frequency selector system configured to generate a selected frequency signal from the frequency comb signals after separation. The selected frequency signal includes a target separated frequency comb signal. The laser system also includes a frequency shifter configured to alter the selected frequency signal toward a target output frequency of the laser system.

Tuning the output of a laser

In a general aspect, a device is disclosed for providing a reference frequency of light. The device includes a housing having a first opening and a second opening. A first optical window covers the first opening and is coupled to the housing by a first ceramic bond that forms a hermetic seal around the first opening. A second optical window covers the second opening and is coupled to the housing by a second ceramic bond that forms a hermetic seal around the second opening. The device also includes an etalon disposed within an evacuated volume enclosed by at least the housing, the first optical window, and the second optical window. The device additionally includes one or more supports suspending the etalon in the evacuated volume. The one or more supports are formed of a material having a thermal conductivity no greater than 5 W/m&#xb7;K at room temperature.

Housing an etalon in a frequency reference system

In a general aspect, a wavelength of light is measured. In some aspects, a wavelength measurement system includes an interferometer, a camera system, a sensor and a control system. The interferometer includes two reflective surfaces and a transmission medium between the two reflective surfaces. The interferometer is configured to receive an optical signal from a laser and produce an interferogram in response. The camera system is configured to receive the interferogram from the interferometer and generate interferogram data in response. The interferogram data represents the interferogram received from the interferometer. The sensor is configured to sense an environmental parameter of the transmission medium and generate sensor data in response. The control system is configured to perform operations including, receiving the interferogram data from the camera system and the sensor data from the sensor; and computing a wavelength of the laser based on the interferogram data and the sensor data.

Measuring wavelength of light

In a general aspect, an imaging method is presented that includes receiving, at a vapor-cell sensor, input optical signals and electromagnetic radiation from at least a test device to generate an output optical signal. The output optical signal is processed at a single pixel camera to generate camera output data. An image of the electromagnetic radiation is constructed by operation of a computer system based on the camera output data. In some implementations, the single pixel camera includes a patterned light generator and a photodetector. In these implementations, the imaging method includes receiving, at the photodetector, patterned instances of the output optical signal generated by the patterned light generator. Each patterned instance represents a respective portion of the image of the electromagnetic radiation. Moreover, the intensity of each patterned instance may be measured, by operation of at least the photodetector, to generate the camera output data.

Single-pixel imaging of electromagnetic fields

For a device with a slider component, movement of the slider component may be used as part of an authentication process, for example, when unlocking the device, or a portion thereof, or providing user authentication to an application executed on the device.

Growing community of inventors

Waterloo, Canada

Chang Liu