“In what we believe to be the first standards compliant, mobile communications link incorporating a Rydberg state optical receiver, the 3-way call was held between London, Ipswich and Felixstowe, using EE’s 4G spectrum,” Sjöman said.
Rydberg atoms are atoms in a highly excited state in which one electron has almost sufficient energy to escape.
Sjöman said that the optical receiver BT used could boost the capability of mobile networks and is theoretically capable of providing more than 100x more sensitivity than traditional receivers.
Sensitivity in relation to receivers in mobile networks relates to the receiver’s ability to demodulate and get information from a weak signal.
This could hypothetically create superior “edge of cell” site coverage.
“This first step shows how quantum-based radio technology is steadily moving closer to real world application,” Sjöman said.
