Quantum Leap in Radio Technology: Polish Scientists Develop Antenna-less Radio Integrated into Fiber Optics
Warsaw, Poland – October 17, 2025 – A team of Polish physicists has revolutionized radio technology with the creation of a radio receiver that operates without conventional components like coils, copper, or electronics – and can be integrated directly into an optical fiber. The breakthrough, published in Nature Communications on October 15, 2025, utilizes a sealed cell, steam, and lasers to detect radio waves by inducing vibrations in atoms and capturing their luminous response.
The device, detailed in the paper “Optically-biased Rydberg microwave receiver enabled by hybrid nonlinear interferometry” (Borówka, S., Mazelanik, M., Wasilewski, W. et al., Nat Common 16, 8975 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63951-9), effectively redefines the concept of an antenna, eliminating the need for physical contact with radio waves. Researchers envision applications in laboratories, satellites, and other unconventional environments.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has already recognized the potential of this technology, providing support to transform the discovery into a space sensor. The goal is to create a satellite-based detector capable of reading microwaves with unprecedented precision and stability, removing the need for constant recalibration.
This project is part of the larger SONATA17 research program, funded by the European Union, aiming to transition radio detection from the 20th-century paradigm into the realm of quantum physics. The innovation promises a future were sensors, telecommunications, and measurements operate solely on light.
