New Discovery Could Revolutionize Ham Radio

[VE3WI Dave]

US Army researchers have developed a quantum receiver good from 0 Hz to 20 GHz.

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-quantum-en...ctrum.html

Not sure what antenna it uses, but reading ads in QST, there are several already on the market that would do the trick - if you believe their advertising hype :-)

73
Dave, VE3WI

[VA3KOT John]

Thanks for posting this Dave. I have a physics degree and a lifelong passion for all things physics. So, I wonder if the developers have taken Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle into consideration. Translated into ham radio terminology it could be interpreted to mean that you can determine the energy of a transmission (i.e. you can give an RST report) but you can't determine its QTH - or vice versa.
 
But seriously, this is a very interesting development. It is probably the most significant radio technology advance since sultry Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr's neat little invention in the 1940s.

[VE3WI Dave]

I'm not a physicist, just a lowly engineer, so I had to look up what a Rydberg atom was :-)

When I was in 1st year engineering, our intro to physics course was taught by the head of the physics dept, because he wouldn't compel any of his professors to teach engineers.

Dave

[VA3KOT John]

Engineering is a very noble profession Dave; far more so here in Canada than in my former home and native land over the seas and far away. There was a certain snobbery in the physics department; electrical engineers were labelled "plumbers" and mechanical engineers were called "grease monkeys". There was even a notice on a board in the department which read: "Six months ago I couldn't even spell injunear, now I are one."

When I arrived here I learned that Engineers are held in very high esteem and this humble physicist tried to get certification as a Professional Engineer and earn the right to wear an iron ring. Unfortunately I learned that I would have had to go back to University and earn some more credits to make my UK degree equivalent to an Ontario degree. Since my salary would remain unaffected I decided not to go ahead. Since then I have had to look up to those who wear the iron ring.