A research team from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the defence contractor RTX have developed a compact atomic radar that can detect underground objects more sensitively than conventional radar.
Made of a glass cell of cesium atoms and employing lasers to create Rydberg atoms that swell the size of bacteria, the technology can distinguish the location of objects to within 4.7cm in a room lined with radio wave-absorbing foam spikes.
While the technology is still in its prototype phase, it has potential applications for utilities, fossil fuel extraction and archaeology.
It also has potential as a quantum sensor that could be used in multiple frequency bands with distinct applications.