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Interest in such atoms is exploding, fuelled by their unique properties and many potential applications in critical technologies.

Giant atoms in which one electron is placed in a highly-excited state are termed Rydberg atoms, after the Swedish spectroscopist J. R. Rydberg who first characterized their properties. Such exotic atoms possess properties quite unlike those normally expected of atoms. They are physically very large and because of this are particularly sensitive to their environment, interacting very strongly with external electric and magnetic fields, and with other Rydberg atoms.

Their strong perturbation by external fields is leading to their exploitation as extremely sensitive electric field sensors over much of the electromagnetic spectrum extending from radio frequencies into the infrared, with applications in communications and radar. Their strong interactions are being harnessed to create quantum gates, or qbits, with potential for use in future quantum computers. Ordered arrays of Rydberg atoms have been generated to mimic the behaviour of solid materials and explore the novel collective phenomena that emerge from atom-atom interactions within these materials, such as superconductivity and magnetism, behaviour that cannot be simulated even on a modern computer.

Rydberg atom arrays can be engineered with novel geometries and controlled defects and provide a powerful new window into the design and fabrication of novel designer materials.

Once only considered a scientific curiosity, current research shows that, despite their large physical size, Rydberg atoms can provide critical new insights into the microscopic quantum world. They can be used in many important areas of technology including sensing, quantum simulation, and quantum computing, as well as in the design of new materials with enhanced electronic, magnetic, optical, and thermal properties.

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