Enhancing Quantum Sensor Technologies with Rydberg Atoms (EQSTRA)

DARPA - Defense Sciences Office HR001124S0031

The EQSTRA solicitation seeks to augment ongoing efforts within the DARPA Science of Atomic

Vapors for New Technologies (SAVaNT) program to advance the performance, capabilities, and

application landscape of Rydberg-vapor technologies for QIS, quantum-enhanced electrometry,

imaging, and communications.

As originally conceived, the SAVaNT program sought to develop techniques to mitigate the effects

of thermal motion and decoherence within broad categories of vapor-based sensing technologies.

Leveraging such techniques, the program sought to demonstrate beyond State-of-the-Art

sensitivity, accuracy, and detection bandwidth in vapor-based magnetometers and electrometers.1

Lastly, the program aimed to advance the integration of Rydberg-based electrometers to

demonstrate a table-top physics package.

 

Substantial progress towards these goals during the first phase of the program, both within the

program and within the wider quantum sensing community, has motivated additional scientific

and technological goals. Particularly, there has been rapid progress towards higher performance

Rydberg-based sensors, the development of multiphoton Doppler-insensitive techniques to

mitigate effects of thermal motion, and novel all-optical sensing modalities. Various efforts have

also clarified disruptive opportunities of such sensors over electro-optic, antenna-based, or

plasmonic modalities. Lastly, progress was made in the elucidation of various fundamental and

technical challenges that currently impede the attainment of quantum-limited sensor performance,

and the development of integrated, low-SWaP devices. By leveraging the results of such ongoing

efforts, this solicitation seeks innovative proposals to address these new opportunities and

challenges. Specifically, proposals are sought in the following Focus Areas (FA):

 FA 1 – Development of atomically-referenced tunable, narrow linewidth sources of

terahertz radiation.

o In conjunction with Rydberg-vapor electrometers being developed in the SAVaNT

program, this FA will enable calibration-free, and matched transmitter-receiver

systems beyond the millimeter-wave regime.

 FA 2 – Development of low-SWaP and integrated Rydberg electrometers.

o This FA seeks to develop components and enabling technologies to reduce the

SWaP metrics of integrated Rydberg-based RF receivers. This includes, but is not

limited to, developing chip-scale tunable optical sources for the state preparation

and readout of Rydberg electrometers over a wide carrier band extending into the

millimeter-wave domain.

 FA 3 – Development of wafer-scale vapor cells for wideband Rydberg electrometry.

o This FA seeks to develop wafer-scale atomic vapor cells with the requisite

homogeneity, manufacturability, and optical quality to enable higher performance

and more robust Rydberg-based electrometry.

 FA 4 – Concept and feasibility studies of Rydberg-based quantum technologies.

o Studies of the application space that would be engendered by developing compact,

high-performance, and quantum-limited Rydberg transmit-receive systems for

wideband communications, imaging, and spectrum awareness.

1 www.darpa.mil/program/science-of-atomic-vapors-for-new-technologies

TBD

Abstract Due Date: June 18, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

July 30, 2024 at 4:00 PM

Technical POC: Dr. Mukund Vengalattore, Program Manager, DARPA/DSO

o BAA Email: EQSTRA@darpa.mil

o BAA Mailing Address:

DARPA/DSO

ATTN: HR001124S0031

675 North Randolph Street

Arlington, VA 22203-2114

 DARPA/DSO Opportunities Website: http://www.darpa.mil/work-withus/

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