National Institute of Standards and Technology reported research teams have enhanced the sensitivity of an atomic radio receiver by enclosing the receiver inside copper headphone-like devices.

This process has the effect of amplifying radio signals, so much weaker signals can now be detected, according to a May 23 NIST news release.

“The loop captures the incoming magnetic field, creating a voltage across the gaps,” scientist Chris Holloway explained in the release. “Since the gap separation is small, a large electromagnetic field is developed across the gap.” 

This represents an improvement over previous atom-based radio receivers. The new generation of sensors are innovative because they are extremely small and maintain their accuracy, even in noisy conditions, according to the release.

The receiver is made up of a vapor cell about the size of a finger nail, the release reported. The sensor uses high-energy states that make atoms extremely sensitive to electromagnetic fields.

The improved device is described as having the potential to be up to 130 times more sensitive than the previous design, and experimental testing shows a hundredfold increase. Researchers plan to improve this design, including smaller vapor cells and frequencies of electromagnetic signals, to bring It closer to, or maybe even able to surpass, the 130-times expected improvement in performance in the near future.