Quantum sensors for space industry

Quantum technology is redefining what an antenna can be. Our team is developing Rydberg antennas—room-temperature sensors that use highly excited rubidium atoms as ultra-sensitive receivers. By laser-exciting electrons to giant orbits, a single atomic cell just millimeters in size can detect electromagnetic waves across an unprecedented range—from megahertz to terahertz—without traditional electronics.

This breakthrough, already backed by the European Space Agency, promises dramatic size and weight savings for satellites, real-time monitoring of spectrum usage, and extreme-precision environmental sensing. Because the sensor is purely atomic, it resists conventional jamming or overload attacks and can reveal signals without disturbing them.

In this talk I’ll explain how quantum physics enables a “universal” antenna, show our compact prototype, and discuss potential applications for telecommunications, cybersecurity, spectrum analytics, and even future quantum-network hardware. Tech innovators will see how a lab-ready quantum sensor is poised to impact space missions, 6G infrastructure, and beyond.