Quantum Valley Ideas Laboratories

Waveryde Instruments Inc.

Stephanie M Bohaichuk

James P Shaffer

Vijin Venu

Chang Liu

Harald Kubler

Kent Arnold Nickerson

Donald Booth

Ching Tai

Florian Christaller

Reza Majidi-Ahy

Pinrui Shen

Matthias Schmidt

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 method is described herein for detecting the phase properties of a radio frequency (RF) wave. The method includes generating an optical signal by interacting laser signals with a vapor of a vapor cell sensor. The optical signal is based on a transmission of one of the laser signals through the vapor. The method also includes altering an intensity of the optical signal by interacting a target RF electromagnetic field with a Rydberg electronic transition of the vapor. The target RF electromagnetic field includes a time series of RF pulses. The method additionally includes determining, by operation of a signal processing system, a magnitude of phase change in the time series of RF pulses. In some implementations, the method includes determining a phase of a target RF pulse in the times series of RF pulses.

Detecting phase properties of radio frequency waves

In a general aspect, a system is described herein for detecting the phase properties of a radio frequency (RF) wave. The system includes a vapor cell sensor that contains a vapor and is configured to generate an optical signal in response to laser signals that interact with the vapor. The vapor has a Rydberg electronic transition that interacts with a target RF electromagnetic field, and the optical signal is based on a transmission of one of the laser signals through the vapor. The system also includes an optical detection system and a signal processing system. The optical detection system is configured to generate a detector signal in response to receiving the optical signal, and the signal processing system is configured to receive the detector signal and perform operations that determine a phase change of the target RF electromagnetic field.

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 system for sensing pulses of radio frequency (RF) fields includes a laser system and a vapor cell sensor. The laser system is configured to generate beams of light that include a probe beam of light. The vapor cell sensor has a vapor therein and is configured to allow the beams of light to pass through the vapor. The system also includes an optical detector configured to generate a detector signal based on the probe beam of light. The system includes a signal processing system configured to perform operations that include receiving the detector signal from the optical detector over a time period. The operations also include generating a digital signal based on the detector signal and applying a matched filter to the digital signal to generate a filtered signal. The filtered signal is processed to determine properties of an RF field experienced by the vapor.

Sensing pulses of radio frequency fields

In a general aspect, a radar system includes a vapor cell sensor system and a radio frequency (RF) optic. The vapor cell sensor system includes a vapor cell sensor, and the RF optic is configured to direct an RF field onto the vapor cell sensor. The RF field includes one or more RF pulses that define a radar signal. The radar system also includes a signal processing system configured to perform operations that include generating a digital signal based on a signal from the vapor cell sensor system. The digital signal represents a measured response of the vapor to the RF field over a time period. The operations also include applying a matched filter to the digital signal to generate a filtered signal and processing the filtered signal to determine properties of the RF field sensed by the vapor cell sensor over the time period.

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Waterloo, Canada

Stephanie M Bohaichuk