A University of Utah team of engineers and mathematicians developed and tested technology to support a smartwatch that can accurately monitor blood pressure continuously by tracking the electrical properties of blood flow at the wrist. No cuff or no calibration are required for this device that could revolutionize how a critical health metric is monitored, providing doctors with much more useful information about patients’ cardiovascular health.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is launching the Knoxville Quantum Accelerator, also known as K-Quantum, to advance the region’s position as a leader in quantum technologies and systems. Unlike the digital computing systems we rely on today, quantum systems use elements of quantum mechanics — the complex behavior of atoms and subatomic particles — to process vast amounts of information quickly and in new ways. Leveraging those properties enables breakthroughs in applications ranging from drug discovery and advanced manufacturing to cryptography and optimization.

The team developed a new optical measurement technique, “Atom Camera,” using a single ultracold atom at near absolute zero temperature as a camera. The technique visualizes not only light intensity distributions but also polarization distributions with a high spatial resolution below 100 nanometers. The method is expected to be useful in quantum computing and other emerging quantum technologies.