Rydberg Radar: A quantum architecture covering the radio window for multi-science signal of opportunity remote sensing with focus on land surface hydrology

We propose a concept for a high sensitivity, dynamically tunable, and ultra-broad-band radar system, named Rydberg Radar, that dramatically improves over the state-of-art radar using quantum Rydberg atomic sensing. The Rydberg Radar instrument concept vastly improves the existing radar capability to study dynamics and transients of the Earth system by enabling a single-detector-based measurement covering the entire 'radio window' (0-30 GHz) in a small form-factor deployable-free architecture. This fundamentally novel technology has the potential to enable multi-science applications covering various bands and applications on a single platform, including in focus areas of planetary boundary layer (PBL), surface topography and vegetation (STV), surface deformation and change (SDC), and sub-surface structure and change (SSC). The high sensitivity and very low-noise (ultimately limited by quantum-projection noise), ultra-broadband (10kHz-1THz), quantum down-conversation of radio signaling (no antenna, RF front-end, or mixers), and compact form-factor of the quantum Rydberg atomic detector (detection volume <1cubic-cm) makes the Rydberg Radar a vast improvement over traditional radars with potential for high-impact in all radar missions of the future. The objective of this proposal is to develop the Rydberg Radar instrument concept for a CubeSat platform as part of a coordinated multi-satellite signal of opportunity (SoOp) concept to address dynamics and transients in land surface hydrology (LSH) science. The benefit of this concept is that it dynamically retrieves soil moisture content (SMC) from canopy to deep-root-zone using collocated detection from C- to I-band, which are sensitive to variables including canopy water content, vegetation water content, as well as near-surface and deeper root-zone soil moisture. The proposed work develops integrated models to study the performance of Rydberg Radar in LSH science and conducts a proof-of-concept SoOp detection. In addition, specific component level requirements for the Rydberg Radar system is developed. The concept studied is composed of multiple coordinated CubeSats, where each CubeSat instrument concept architecture is composed of a dual-polarization fiber-coupled-laser Rydberg detector node with excitation, detection, and digital systems. Specific bands addressed for the LSH science in this concept are SoOps at 137MHz/260MHz/360MHz/1.5GHz/2.3GHz/3.9GHz (I/P/L/S/C bands), although the technology can be tuned to higher frequencies for other science applications. The concept has an entry level TRL of 2, with many critical components and subsystems at a considerably higher TRL. We will raise to TRL 3 over the 18-month effort.

Enabling lower cost innovative remote sensing instrument development from concept through breadboard and demonstration

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