A Rydberg atom-based mixer: Measuring the phase of a radio frequency wave

Simons, Matthew T.; Haddab, Abdulaziz H.; Gordon, Joshua A.; Holloway, Christopher L.

doi:10.1063/1.5088821

Cited by 157 publications

(109 citation statements)

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“…For a detuning of ∆ f =1 Hz the -3 dB crossing happens for E ∆ f /E o ≈ 60 dB. This work shows E-field strengths -84 dB below the AT limit E AT can be detected using the Rydberg atom mixer 16 . This is better than an order of magnitude improvement in the minimum detectable E-field compared to previously reported techniques (≈ 46 µV/m ± 2 µV/m as opposed to 800 µV/m 14 ).…”

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Weak electric-field detection with sub-1 Hz resolution at radio frequencies using a Rydberg atom-based mixer

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Rydberg atoms have been used for measuring radio-frequency (RF) electric (E)-fields due to their strong dipole moments over the frequency range of 500 MHz-1 THz. For this, electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) within the Autler-Townes (AT) regime is used such that the detected E-field is proportional to AT splitting. However, for weak E-fields AT peak separation becomes unresolvable thus limiting the minimum detectable E-field. Here, we demonstrate using the Rydberg atoms as an RF mixer for weak E-field detection well below the AT regime with frequency discrimination better than 1 Hz resolution. Two E-fields incident on a vapor cell filled with cesium atoms are used. One E-field at 19.626000 GHz drives the 34D 5/2 → 35P 3/2 Rydberg transition and acts as a local oscillator (LO) and a second signal E-field (Sig) of interest is at 19.626090 GHz. In the presence of the LO, the Rydberg atoms naturally down convert the Sig field to a 90 kHz intermediate frequency (IF) signal. This IF signal manifests as an oscillation in the probe laser intensity through the Rydberg vapor and is easily detected with a photodiode and lock-in amplifier. In the configuration used here, E-field strength down to ≈ 46 µV/m ± 2 µV/m were detected. Furthermore, neighboring fields 0.1 Hz away and equal in strength to Sig could be discriminated without any leakage into the lock-in signal. For signals 1 Hz away and as high as +60 dB above Sig, leakage into the lock-in signal could be kept below -3 dB.

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“…2, Γ EIT ≈ 4 MHz and E AT =0.72 V/m for the above mentioned Rydberg states. A schematic of the Rydberg atom mixer 16 is shown in Fig. 3.…”

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Weak electric-field detection with sub-1 Hz resolution at radio frequencies using a Rydberg atom-based mixer

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“…In order to detect and receive phase modulated signals [the basis of most digital modulation schemes, e.g., binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM)], the phase of an RF signal is required. However, the ability to measure the phase of an RF signal with Rydberg atoms has not been possible until recently 28 . By using a Rydberg atom-based mixer (depicted in Fig.…”

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Detecting and Receiving Phase-Modulated Signals With a Rydberg Atom-Based Receiver

Holloway

Simons

Gordon

et al. 2019

Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett.

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Recently, we introduced a Rydberg-atom based mixer capable of detecting and measuring the phase of a radiofrequency field through the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Autler-Townes (AT) effect. The ability to measure phase with this mixer allows for an atom-based receiver to detect digital modulated communication signals. In this paper, we demonstrate detection and reception of digital modulated signals based on various phase-shift keying approaches. We demonstrate Rydberg atom-based digital reception of binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), and quadrature amplitude (QAM) modulated signals over a 19.626 GHz carrier to transmit and receive a bit stream in cesium vapor. We present measured values of Error Vector Magnitude (EVM, a common communication metric used to assess how accurate a symbol or bit stream is received) as a function of symbol rate for BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 32QAM, and 64QAM modulation schemes. These results allow us to discuss the bandwidth of a Rydberg-atom based receiver system.

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“…The surpassing of the photon shot noise limitation is nontrivial [19]. The measurements with Rydberg atomic transitions were extended to vector microwave electrometry with 0.5 • angular resolution [20] and to a Rydberg-atom-based mixer for microwave phase shift measurement with an uncertainty better than 0.5 rad [21], offering also the opportunity to detect weak microwave signals [22].…”

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Phase-Sensitive Vector Terahertz Electrometry from Precision Spectroscopy of Molecular Ions

Constantin

2020

Atoms

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This article proposes a new method for sensing THz waves that can allow electric field measurements traceable to the International System of Units and to the fundamental physical constants by using the comparison between precision measurements with cold trapped HD+ ions and accurate predictions of molecular ion theory. The approach exploits the lightshifts induced on the two-photon rovibrational transition at 55.9 THz by a THz wave around 1.3 THz, which is off-resonantly coupled to the HD+ fundamental rotational transition. First, the direction and the magnitude of the static magnetic field applied to the ion trap is calibrated using Zeeman spectroscopy of HD+. Then, a set of lightshifts are converted into the amplitudes and the phases of the THz electric field components in an orthogonal laboratory frame by exploiting the sensitivity of the lightshifts to the intensity, the polarization and the detuning of the THz wave to the HD+ energy levels. The THz electric field measurement uncertainties are estimated for quantum projection noise-limited molecular ion frequency measurements with the current accuracy of molecular ion theory. The method has the potential to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of electric field metrology and may be extended to THz magnetic fields and to optical fields.

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A Rydberg atom-based mixer: Measuring the phase of a radio frequency wave

Cited by 157 publications

References 13 publications

Weak electric-field detection with sub-1 Hz resolution at radio frequencies using a Rydberg atom-based mixer

Weak electric-field detection with sub-1 Hz resolution at radio frequencies using a Rydberg atom-based mixer

Detecting and Receiving Phase-Modulated Signals With a Rydberg Atom-Based Receiver

Phase-Sensitive Vector Terahertz Electrometry from Precision Spectroscopy of Molecular Ions

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