A new method detects and calibrates terahertz combs—an area where conventional electronics struggle.
Researchers at the University of Warsaw reported a technique for detecting and precisely calibrating terahertz frequency combs using a “quantum antenna” based on Rydberg atoms. The work highlights measuring a single terahertz comb tooth, addressing a long-standing instrumentation bottleneck where signals are too fast for standard electronics yet awkward for optical methods.
The Optica publication tied to this reporting describes the metrology angle—using atomic response to electric fields to support measurement and calibration in the THz regime.
Conclusion:
Terahertz is a famously “hard-to-measure” band; pushing precision metrology there has knock-on effects for sensing, spectroscopy, and future quantum-enabled measurement toolchains.
